


First

by rosedarkling



Category: Mogeko, Obsolete Dream, Okegom, funamusea, 海底囚人, 海底囚人 | Deep-Sea Prisoner, 灰色庭園 | Haiiro Teien | The Gray Garden
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - High School, Angst, Denial of Feelings, Drama, Fluff, Funamusea Private Deep-Sea Academy, High School, Jealousy, Loss of Virginity, Multi, Teen Pregnancy, Teen Romance, Teenage Drama, Unplanned Pregnancy, are they technically teens or immortal beings in this au?, dubcon, relationships, underage?, will add more tags as the story progresses
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-05
Updated: 2021-02-16
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:20:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Underage
Chapters: 7
Words: 22,326
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27408697
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rosedarkling/pseuds/rosedarkling
Summary: Funamusea Private Deep-Sea Academy - a place for all manner of students to congregate to increase their education. As with any high school, a multitude of things can occur. Relationships are formed, drama can ensue, and lives can be forever be changed. High school is certainly a time for many first experiences to take place.
Relationships: Etihw/Kcalb (Gray Garden), Ivlis/Satanick (Gray Garden)
Comments: 20
Kudos: 49





	1. Hanging Out

_Come meet me at my apartment after school. There is something I want to show you._

Ivlis stared at the small, square note that was sitting right on top of his recreational shoes in his locker. The white paper was a stark contrast against his black shoes with the large golden buttons on the heels. Reaching out his red claws, Ivlis lightly pinched the note between his scaled fingers, re-reading it to make sure he had actually read it correctly. There was no signature left on it – even turning it over did not reveal a sender – but Ivlis immediately knew who the note was from just based on the handwriting. Plus, the quickly drawn heart with black pen in the right-hand corner was a dead giveaway as to who the culprit was. Knowing it was none other than the “marvelous” Satanick, Ivlis could already feel his heart rate speeding up. He had just gotten done with after school club activities, so this was surely a surprise; whether a welcome one or not was still debatable.

Igls must have noticed Ivlis’s hesitation as she was slipping on her outdoor shoes, tapping the toes of her right foot on the tiled floor to securely fit her heel in. Her long, wavy blonde hair hung down over her shoulders as she bent down to retrieve her black school shoes off the floor and slide them into her open locker. She turned to her right to look at Ivlis – well, “look” with her perpetually closed eyes. Her eyelashes rested serenely on her face, but her voice betrayed a bit of concern for her younger twin. “What’s the matter, Ivlis?” She readjusted her kendo bag on her shoulder, the sword warped back in its sheath inside its gray case.

Ivlis turned to face the angel, long pieces of his dark gray hair with the red tips slightly sliding across the top of his black uniform jacket. He shook his head, offering a small smile to Igls. “It’s nothing.” His eyes went once more to the note in his hand, crumpling it up to slide it into his jacket’s right pocket so he could resume getting ready to leave for the day. Making quick work of removing his shoes to trade them out for his boots, Ivlis closed the square, gray door of his locker, finding Igls a bit closer to him now. Ivlis jumped a bit at the sudden startle, and Igls tilted her head slightly to the right in confusion.

“Why so jumpy, Ivlis?” she asked, though Ivlis suspected she already knew the answer to that. He knew his sister well enough that she was always curious about what was going on in Ivlis’s life. Of course, he knew what she was really looking for.

Letting out a light sigh without showing too much annoyance, Ivlis replied, “I’m just gonna go visit Satanick for a bit. Let Papa know I’ll be a bit late tonight.” Ivlis bent down to retrieve his own black bag in hand, turning to begin walking alongside Igls. Older she might be by a few milliseconds, Igls was always the worrier when it came to her brother. Hurriedly, she made sure she was in stride with him as she looked up at him. A member of the kendo club, Igls was quite agile and strong enough to keep up with anyone in the school. Other girls looked up to her quite often, Ivlis had noticed.

“Oh?” she asked, curious. “What does he want?”

Ivlis shrugged, pushing open one of the various doors that led to the outside. The sky was already starting to turn its various shades of orange, yellow, and purple as the evening was settling in. It was not quite yet fall, but the air was becoming chillier with the sun starting to lower in the sky. “Who knows with him. He probably just wants to hang out.” Ivlis paused a moment in thought as they walked down the cobblestone walkway that led away from the looming structure of the school to the large, rolling bars of the school gate. “We didn’t really get a chance to see each other much today with club activities.”

Igls stared at him for a moment, her closed and unblinking eyes staring at him, as if gauging to see if he was fully telling the truth – as if doubting him. Ivlis knew the reason for this; Igls was always concerned, yes, but he also knew that she was a bit concerned ever since Ivlis first began dating Satanick. She had seen the many times Satanick would try to “court” Ivlis and win his affection. Ivlis eventually gave in when Satanick practically forced him into going out with him, showing up to school one day with a big bouquet of roses as if to bribe Ivlis. Satanick was known to be flamboyant and a bit “extra,” so it was understandable why Igls was a bit leery about Ivlis spending too much time with him. Still, she respected Ivlis’s decision to date whomever he wished.

“Well, okay,” she replied, turning to face forward, once more readjusting her kendo bag on her left shoulder. “I’ll let Papa Siralos know that you might not make it for dinner. But if you eat over there with him, please don’t ignore your vegetables this time, Ivlis.”

Ivlis rolled his eyes at this, hoping she didn’t see his mild annoyance at her “motherly” care for him. He also thought of his father standing there, that cheerful grin on his face as he stood at the stove preparing meals for his children. Even now, Ivlis could get a clear image of the man and his red-rimmed glasses. Come to think of it, Ivlis almost always saw him wear those peach colored slippers and matching apron over his sweaters. Ivlis couldn’t help but smile, knowing his father was always looking out for Igls and his benefit.

Reaching the gate, Ivlis turned to look at her once more, the setting of the sun behind the line of trees across the street highlighting her golden-orange sunburst halo. A light breeze drifted by, blowing strands of her long blonde hair behind her and strands of Ivlis’s dark gray and red-tipped hair in front of his face. “I’ll see you later, Igls. Don’t wait up.” As soon as he said that, he knew she clearly was going to now that the idea had been implanted into the forefront of her mind.

Igls gave a soft smile to her brother. “Sure, sure,” she replied. Turning on her heel, her black pleated skirt ruffling in the light breeze, Igls turned to the left to begin heading home while Ivlis turned towards the right to head towards Satanick’s nearby apartment building. Breathing in deeply, Ivlis could already smell the last hints of summer with autumn on its way as the cooling breeze of the evening blew against his face. He enjoyed weather like this, and as he walked, he couldn’t help but find himself a bit anticipatory as to what Satanick had in mind for tonight.

It was not uncommon for Satanick to make odd gestures and requests of Ivlis, but he would normally do so in person. Even if he was in club or even classes, Satanick had no qualms about bursting in to declare messages to Ivlis whenever he felt like it, much to everyone else’s annoyance and Ivlis’s embarrassment. Having left a note this time, Ivlis wondered what Satanick was planning. His heart began to beat a bit faster now, but he tried to rationalize that to it just being the adrenaline from walking.

“Buri-chan~!” Satanick sang out as he flung open the door of his apartment to find Ivlis standing there, his school bag still in hand. The note had worked, after all! Of course, he figured it would; Ivlis was too nice to ignore his requests. Though, Satanick had planned ahead that if he had ignored him, he would have just come over to see Ivlis instead. To hear the knock on the door had spurred the rambunctious devil to leap up from where he had been sitting to scramble to the door to see his beloved standing there.

Happily grinning, Satanick stepped to the right as he pulled the door fully open all the way. “Come in, come in,” he eagerly welcomed, waving Ivlis in. “I’ve been expecting you.” Satanick could see the tiny bit of sweat on Ivlis’s forehead, and he suspected it was from the climb of the metallic-like stairs up to the sixth floor to Satanick’s apartment, the sixth place down the row. Even with the overhang over the enclosed balcony, Satanick could see the lowering sun, also suspecting Ivlis could be hot in the typical black jacket of their school uniforms. Well, none of that really mattered at the moment. Right now, all Satanick could think about was the evening he had planned out for the two of them.

As soon as Ivlis stepped past the threshold of the doorway, the devil looked around the open space before him. Off to the immediate left was a typical living room with a couch, television set, coffee table, and the usual paraphernalia one would find around the typical living space. The only thing slightly different was the array of bowls on the table that were filled with an assortment of sweets and junk foods one would snack on. A portion of a wall was towards the right, which led directly into an open kitchen. A hallway straight in front of him led back to more rooms. One might consider it tiny, but the price was relatively cheap for two high school boys. It was not exactly the most spotless apartment, as one could see it was a bit dingy and older with the way the walls and carpeting seemed a bit faded. Ivlis kicked his boots off in the entryway so as to not track anything inside. Plus, it did not help that the landlord did not seem to care if anyone smoked in this place, as Ivlis could smell the hint of smoke still permeating the air. 

“Is your brother around?” Ivlis turned to ask as Satanick closed the front door. The sickening smell of heavy smoke was a key indicator that Fumus lived here. Well, all the blame could not totally be placed on that man; Ivlis knew that Satanick would occasionally have himself a cigarette if he felt like it. Satanick could easily be labeled as a "bad boy" with the way he presented himself, though, Ivlis suspected he did not care what others viewed him as. 

Satanick shook his head in response to Ivlis's question. “Nah, he’s still at club.” He gave a small shrug as he raised his hands, palms up towards the ceiling. “Something about initiating new members.” Lowering his hands soon after, Satanick once more smiled at Ivlis. “So, that means we have the whole place to ourselves tonight, Buri-chan. Isn’t that great?”

Ivlis did not particularly know what type of club Fumus ran – nor did he really know much of the one Satanick was a part of, except that the various members of it would refer to him as “Devil Lord.” Ivlis was actually glad that Fumus was not here; he did not particularly care for the older brother of Satanick, nor did the man seem to care for Ivlis. One instance that stuck out in Ivlis’s mind was when Satanick first had brought Ivlis over to the apartment, Fumus had asked who the “lizard” was. Ivlis could understand a sibling’s disapproval of someone’s choice of partner, but something about him rubbed Ivlis the wrong way with the cynical attitude the older man displayed. Still, even Satanick would call Ivlis a somewhat insensitive nickname. Nonetheless, Satanick's use of "Buri-chan" had become an endearing name that Ivlis had gotten used to. Perhaps it was something that ran in the family, Ivlis tried to reason.

He was shortly brought back to reality when Satanick’s left hand slipped into Ivlis’s right one, letting Ivlis’s bag drop to the entryway floor with a light thump. Looking at Satanick’s pale hand on his red and scaled ones, Ivlis raised his golden-yellow eyes to the deep purple ones of Satanick’s. Still with that ever present smirk, Satanick led Ivlis over to the leathery black couch, plopping onto it and sliding down its length to pull Ivlis down to sit with him.

The flame devil’s eyes widened for a moment as he was lightly dragged around Satanick’s living room. Igls was right to be a bit skeptical about Satanick and his actions, as Ivlis himself was also suspicious. One never really knew what he was going to do next. Even if they had been dating for a bit, Ivlis still could not get a grasp on the behaviors and inner workings of this young man’s mind.

Now sitting side by side with Satanick, Ivlis now felt his heartbeat accelerating once more; this time, he knew it was not from walking. Pressing his lips together for a moment to gather his words, Ivlis questioned, “So, what’s up? Why did you call me here?”

With his hand still on his, Satanick reached his right one out to grab a remote control off of the snack-filled table. He soon pressed the red power button in the upper right hand corner of the remote to turn the television on, it's screen slowly fading into focus. Even the electronics and furntiure of this place seemed a bit outdated as the boxy teleivons sat on an old wooden stand. It looked as though Satanick and Fumus had taken whatever furniture the place had come furnished with. “I thought tonight could be a special time to hang out with each other, Ivlis. I miss spending some quality time with you. School can certainly get in the way at times, don’t you think?” Letting go of Ivlis’s hand, Satanick leaned back fully into the corner of the couch, lounging out still in his uniform. His long black-clad legs spread out, truly giving meaning to the idea of relaxation. “So, what would you like to watch, Ivlis?”


	2. Beginner

A mere hour and a half had passed, and Ivlis still found himself a bit on edge about the real reason as to why he was here. It was not as if he was ungrateful for the time to spend with his boyfriend, but Ivlis could not help but wonder if there was more to this evening than met the eye. He did not really care what movie Satanick was playing – some sort of romantic comedy. The two had snacked on the array of sweets of marshmallows, lollipops, candies, and chips. Ivlis decided it would be best to not mention this “dinner” to Igls lest she become upset that Satanick was not properly feeding him. However, the one thing that Ivlis could appreciate is that the more time that passed, the more he became relaxed around Satanick. Ivlis now found himself lying against Satanick, his head somewhat resting on Satanick’s chest as he lounged, Ivlis resting with his back against him and his feet propped up on the couch. Satanick had unbuttoned his jacket to make it more comfortable for Ivlis to rest on him, his left arm lying against the top of the couch as Ivlis lie between his legs. Ivlis’s face was turned to the glow of the television screen, though he was not paying attention what was even occurring in the movie.

The movie played on and on as the sounds all seemed to drown together. His right ear rested against Satanick’s chest, hearing his steady heartbeat. To hear it was comforting in its own strange way; that made Ivlis feel a bit more at ease. Why shouldn’t he be? This was his boyfriend, after all. It was normal for couples to hang out together and be affectionate, so surely this was fine. Yet, even the simple thought of the word “couple” had Ivlis’s face becoming warm.

A couple, huh…?

“Ivlis.”

Satanick’s voice interrupted Ivlis’s thoughts, and the young man rotated his head upwards to look up at Satanick. That was when the devil’s lips were met with Satanick’s.

Ivlis’s eyes enlarged at this sudden affection. Satanick was a physical being – Ivlis knew that – so he should not be too surprised when the man would kiss him or hold him, but it always left Ivlis flustered with these random times. After a few moments of Satanick’s lips on his, Ivlis had closed his eyes, allowing the warmth of the kiss to flood through him. Soon, Satanick raised his face back up, opening his eyes to meet the opening gaze of Ivlis’s. Already, he could see the man’s cheeks were growing pink and his lips a bit puffier. A simple kiss was all it took to send Ivlis into this minor tizzy? That amused the elder devil as he kept his eyes on Ivlis’s face.

It was true that Satanick had wanted to spend some time with Ivlis – to just be near him – but he also wanted to become even closer to him. In reality, Satanick wanted this evening to become the first of many times to become intimate with Ivlis. Raising up his right hand, Satanick lightly pinched Ivlis’s chin between his thumb and forefinger to keep Ivlis’s face raised. Now was the time for honesty. After all, the start of every relationship should be built on truth and trust.

“Ivlis, you care for me, right?” Satanick softly spoke. Even over the chatter of the movie, Ivlis could easily hear the words uttered right at him.

Of course he cared for Satanick. Sure, he was a bit over-the-top in many aspects, but Ivlis knew this was just his personality. Was Satanick having doubts about their relationship? Was that the real reason as to having called him over here tonight? “O – Of course I care about you,” Ivlis stuttered out. Wanting to move to get a better look into Satanick’s face, Ivlis went to move from his gentle grip to rotate so he could properly sit up to face him. Looking at Satanick still lazily laid out on the couch, Ivlis stared at him with questioning eyes. “Why did you ask me that?” Part of him was a bit hurt that Satanick was having these doubts about their relationship. That honestly pricked a bit at Ivlis’s heart. Yes, Satanick annoyed him at times, but he still had developed genuine feelings for him after only a few months of dating. 

Nonetheless, Satanick offered Ivlis a coy smile as he pushed himself up on the couch, leaning forward to the point he was mere centimeters away from Ivlis. Such proximity and such a smirk now had Ivlis realizing that the reason Satanick had asked him such a thing was not from any doubts. In fact, it now appeared as if it was quite the opposite.

“You trust me then.” Not a question; a statement. Ivlis could feel his breathing increasing as he listened to this man’s words and watched his deliberate motions. Still, even if it was a statement, Ivlis found himself nodding as he gulped back the saliva that had formed in his mouth. He was amazed that he even had anything left in his dry mouth.

With Ivlis’s confirmation, Satanick gave a cheeky and cheerful grin. Ivlis was unsure what to expect next, but he did not expect Satanick to reach his left arm out around Ivlis’s back and his right one underneath Ivlis’s knees. Ivlis gasped as he found himself being lifted up off of the couch and carried in Satanick’s arms. Tensing up while simultaneously feeling himself becoming flustered, Ivlis was able to ask, “W – What are you doing?”

Satanick only offered a slight giggle as he turned the corner out of the living room and down the small hallway to a room on the left hand side at the end of it. Immediately, Ivlis knew exactly where they were based on the décor of the bedroom with purples and darker colors. The only thing that seemed relatively colorful was the pure white sheets of the bed – Satanick’s bed. Ivlis’s heartbeat accelerated when he noticed that this was exactly where Satanick was approaching.

A bed symbolized two things in Ivlis’s mind – sleep...or more than a make-out session. In this case, he determined that the latter was most likely the thing on Satanick’s mind. Already, Ivlis was starting to feel his breathing stop and his blood beginning to rush throughout his body. Was Satanick really going to try this tonight with him? Was he even ready for such a thing?

No time was left to make these decisions as Ivlis found himself being placed across the bed. As if frozen, Ivlis simply watched Satanick look down at him, his curved and rounded tree-like horns casting a small shadow over the man, illuminated by the dim lighting of Satanick’s bedroom lamp on the bedside table. The way Satanick looked at him was one of intensity and desperation – as if he was getting ready to devour Ivlis. Ivlis felt the need to sit up a bit, pushing himself upright on the bed so he was in more of a position to be a bit more eye level with Satanick. Lying down only left him feeling more vulnerable. 

Sliding onto the bed, Satanick climbed atop of Ivlis, straddling his legs as his messy black hair hung in front of his face as he looked at Ivlis with such lust in those deep purple depths. “Ivlis, I want us to make it official. Like a real couple does.” Reaching out with both hands, Satanick cupped Ivlis’s cheeks in his palms, pulling him in for another deep kiss. All Ivlis could do was allow it to happen as he found himself heating up. A mixture of nervousness and terror of the unknown filled him, as did hormones that were trying to egg him on to pursue this. However, the rational side of his mind told him to back out of this before anything further happened. He clenched his claws into the bed sheets, bunching them up a he tried to quell the raging storm inside of him.

Satanick soon pulled back from Ivlis, his soft lips lingering for a moment longer on Ivlis’s as he gently pulled away. With his eyes partially hooded as his libido was steadily revving up, Satanick whispered out, “Now, take off your jacket, Buri.” The way he said it in that smooth, almost dripping with sweetness tone, had Ivlis sheepishly following along even though a majority of his body screamed at him to run away before things got too out of control. Still, Ivlis obeyed, unbuttoning his black uniform jacket, sliding each gold button carefully through as he tried to control the trembling that was starting to take over. A light-headed sensation was washing over him, and Ivlis hoped he would not pass out from this roller coaster of emotions that was starting to flood him.

Ivlis slid his jacket off of his arms once unbuttoned, placing it over to his right on the bed. Seemingly pleased with this, Satanick once more instructed Ivlis on what to do next. “Lie down, Ivlis.”

 _Stop!_ His brain shouted at him to not pursue these orders, but Ivlis felt he should continue to do as he was told. Gulping, Ivlis found himself lowering down back onto his back, careful to not bump his head or his red, curved horns on the headboard. This left Satanick with ample time to reach out to begin unbuttoning Ivlis’s white dress shirt. Feeling the air hitting his warm skin left Ivlis shuddering at being so exposed, and he worried that only more and more of him was going to become seen in ways that no one else had ever seen him. His golden eyes began to tremble as he turned his face to the right, the blush starting to creep even higher on his cheeks.

What would others think if they saw him in this position?

What would Siralos say?

What would Igls think?

Now was not the time to worry about such things, but they were still questions that his mind posed. Ivlis gulped as he looked off at nothing in partiuclar, as if somehow not directly seeing what was occurring would make it all magically go away.

“What’s the matter, Buri-chan?” Satanick smiled gleefully down at Ivlis, the young man’s shirt now fully unbuttoned. The bed squeaked slightly as Satanick positioned his hands on either side of Ivlis’s head as he straddled his hips, his knees digging into the mattress. He had noticed Ivlis’s hesitance and slight shaking as he had been unbuttoning him. Plus, the flame devil did not quite seem to be participating in undressing Satanick, as would be the normal custom when a couple was going to be intimate.

“W-Well....” Ivlis paused as he tried to determine the best words to say. He did not want to upset Satanick with his next choice of words. Still looking off towards his right so as to not meet Satanick’s gaze directly – a bit embarrassed at the events that were occurring, as well as a bit ashamed that he was getting “cold feet” about this – Ivlis said, “I just…really don’t know if it’s okay to do something like this….” It was perfectly fine to be honest, right?

It was the truth, after all; Ivlis wasn’t sure if it was truly okay to do this. They had learned about sexual education in school, much to the amusement of some others in the class that would laugh and jeer like this was something trivial to joke about. Yet Ivlis had always found it normal to hear these things; it was just about the body, after all. He never quite understood why a few of the other students would find it comical. Truth be told, Ivlis often found it a bit embarrassing to hear about these types of things. Sure, it was normal, but he had never experienced anything like sex before. The most Satanick and him had done was a simple kiss and holding of hands. Did the others find it funny because they were immature and also virgins? Or did they have more experience that left them a bit more educated in the realm of “hands-on” activities?

Whatever the reason why Ivlis was feeling hesitant, he was soon pulled out of his thoughts when Satanick leaned back a bit to place his left hand upon Ivlis’s lightly blushing cheek. Ivlis could feel that they were warm with the small amount of coolness that Satanick’s hand provided to his hot face. By now, Ivlis had turned his gaze to meet the devil's. “I told you, didn’t I? That all couples do this....”

Ivlis’s large, golden-yellow eyes stared up into Satanick’s face. That once playful look on his face had faded into a more serious and almost…darker tone. A grin was still present on his face, but this one did not look as giddy as before. It was still gleeful, but in its own way. Those deep purple eyes bore into Ivlis’s in a way that made Ivlis both shudder – whether in fear or anticipation, Ivlis could not be sure. 

“And… aren’t we a couple?”

That last sentence gripped the young devil’s heart. Of course they were a couple! Ivlis might not have been the most outwardly affectionate person in the relationship when compared to Satanick, but he still treasured their relationship. A bit of sweat had formed on Ivlis’s brow, and he felt his face flush a bit. He did not want to hurt Satanick by putting a damper on this special evening that Satanick had clearly been planning out.

So, this had been the thing Satanick had wanted to "show" him....

Not sure what to say to this, Ivlis shut his eyes and felt his face heating up once more. Satanick slid his hand off of Ivlis’s face to place it once more near his head. The devil then began to lower his face over Ivlis’s, a pleased smile on his face as his phlox-colored irises became hooded. He took this repsonse as confirmation to proceed. 

“Good boy,” Satanick cooed. “Of course we are a couple.” His tone seemed to have shifted thanks to Ivlis's reluctant obedience. Satanick then fully lowered his face over Ivlis’s to press his lips to his in a kiss that started off gentle. Soft pecks of kisses peppered Ivlis’s lips as the softness of Satanick’s meshed on his. Ivlis did enjoy when Satanick would kiss him. It was a simple gesture to show that they loved each other; a simple thing that left Ivlis feeling warm. As the two continued to kiss, Satanick began to push his mouth a bit rougher now, forcing Ivlis’s lips apart with his. As Ivlis opened his mouth to try to get in some more air between deep breaths through his nostrils, Satanick slipped his tongue into Ivlis’s mouth. Ivlis’s eyes opened now as he let out a muffled moan in his throat as he felt Satanick’s tongue twirling around his. Their saliva mingled together, and Ivlis felt his hands naturally rising up to place his palms against Satanick’s chest. 

Part of him wanted to instinctively push back against him to back off a bit, but another part of him also wanted to feel Satanick. Conflicted on what he should be doing at a time like this, Ivlis could only moan in reply as Satanick now gripped Ivlis’s shoulders to push back his shirt, starting to slide it further down the devil’s shoulders. Ivlis felt his loins beginning to tingle and tighten. He hadn’t felt this way before. Yes, he would get warm tingles in his chest when they would kiss, cuddle, or hold hands at just the right moment, but this was beyond anything Ivlis had ever experienced.

“Mmm,” Ivlis moaned, stretching his neck out slightly to the right to pull away from the deep kiss. Saliva trailed between them, leaving a slight dribble down the left-hand side of Ivlis’s mouth. “S – Satanick,” Ivlis huffed out, finding himself breathless. “I…. I….” The words died on his tongue before he could even formulate them in his brain. What was he trying to say? What did he really want? Part of him was still quivering at the possibility that this was becoming reality.

“It’s okay,” Satanick reassured Ivlis, now sliding the rest of Ivlis’s shirt down off of his arms, allowing Ivlis to lower his arms off of his chest. Now that he was fully bare at the top – his shirt now lying underneath him – Satanick eyed Ivlis’s pink and puckered nipples. Satanick grinned, knowing that Ivlis was just as aroused as he was. Plus, he could already make out the slight tent forming behind Ivlis’s black pants. Satanick reached down to grasp onto Ivlis’s scaled wrists, raising the flame devil’s hands back up to his chest. “Now, you undress me, Ivlis.” Being a bit more skilled than Ivlis, Satanick determined that guiding his beloved through the motions would be the perfect aid to his new lover. 

Every beginner needed to start somewhere. 


	3. As Warm as a Flame

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BIG SMUT WARNING AGAIN!!! ;)

Ivlis felt like his heart was going to burst out of his chest upon Satanick requesting him to do this for him. With the man’s hands wrapped around his wrists, Ivlis gulped back the trepidation he was experiencing, creasing his fingers into Satanick’s white undershirt that rested underneath his already unbuttoned jacket. With trembling fingers, Ivlis started at the top of Satanick’s shirt, sliding each button through. He fumbled a few times, not quite moving as fast as he thought he should have been, but Satanick did not seem to mind. In fact, he kept his eyes locked onto Ivlis as the devil struggled with this simple task. Reaching the final button after what felt like eternity, Ivlis exposed Satanick’s pure white chest, nary any mark or blemish upon that porcelain skin. Ivlis felt himself blushing even harder and could swear he heard the blood rushing throughout his veins.

“See? It’s easy once you start, Buri-chan,” Satanick cooed out, quickly slipping out of his jacket and shirt, his torso now fully exposed. Ivlis felt as if he should look away at this display, but would that be rude? Was this too indecent? Ivlis began to question himself once more, and Satanick must have noticed his hesitation once more. “Don’t be scared,” Satanick responded to Ivlis’s internal fears. “I’ll take charge if you like. Soon, you’ll become an expert at this.”

Before Ivlis could respond – thinking that he would reply that he could, in fact, do this – Satanick began tugging on Ivlis’s pants, his fingers slipping into the waistband as his thumbs undid the button. Ivlis’s mouth flung open, and he naturally wanted to curl up, or roll away, or do something to prevent this from happening. This was his most private and intimate area; this shouldn’t be seen. It shouldn’t be touched! His fears screamed at him to put a stop to his, and his body reacted, his red claws now gripping onto Satanick’s wrists.

“W – Wait!” Ivlis croaked out.

His eyes were large, but so were his pupils. Enlarged in fear, but Satanick also suspected in arousal. He knew Ivlis would be hesitant, but he did not expect him to be so forward. His Buri-chan was usually quite docile, though he did have the occasional temper. Satanick chuckled, finding it a bit cute – though a little annoying, if he was to be completely honest – that Ivlis was still trying to wiggle his way out of this. He just needed some extra convincing is all. With that thought in mind, Satanick easily removed his wrists out of Ivlis’s hands. His fingers now trailed up Ivlis’s sides, causing the young man to shudder, finding his nipples to pinch between his fingers. This truly got Ivlis going, as the flame devil let out a slight, “Ahh!,” at the sudden touch. Satanick chuckled, grinning enough to reveal his teeth. He rolled the nubs between his thumbs and index fingers as he pinched and rubbed the hardened tips. The way Ivlis squirmed underneath him had Satanick feeling proud.

“Sooo ~,” Satanick sang out. “Your nipples are sensitive, I see. I wonder where else you are sensitive, Ivlis.” Satanick then released Ivlis from his grip to once more trail his fingers over the devil’s sides and chest. So smooth; so supple yet strong in his own way. Satanick once more returned to Ivlis’s pants, now unzipping him to reveal the faintest hint of red boxers behind this dark garment. As Ivlis’s lips flapped without any sound coming out, his claws now feebly gripping into the white bed sheets, Satanick began to wiggle the garments free off of Ivlis’s hips. “Let’s explore each other, my Buri. Let’s find where else you are tender.”

All Ivlis could do was gasp in unintelligible words and breaths as he tried to process the reality settling in.

Tonight, he would lose his virginity.

Tonight, Satanick and him would finally have intercourse.

He knew the man had called him here for this; yes, this was the true reason of making their relationship “official.” As Satanick stripped him fully down – his pants with the boxers still inside of them being tossed behind Satanick to the floor – Ivlis found himself on fire from just being nude. His erection immediately had sprung up upon being freed from the confines of his tight trousers. Satanick now eyed Ivlis up and down, his eyes focused on the pure form below him. Ivlis felt like he was about to be devoured the way Satanick’s eyes stared at him so fiercely.

He couldn’t breathe; his breath had truly ceased at this point. Ivlis could only manage to choke out the occasional noise that could barely be categorized as words.

“It’s okay, Ivlis. It’s okay,” Satanick tried to reassure him, placing his hands upon Ivlis’s knees to spread Ivlis wide. “It’s only going to hurt a little. But, soon, you won’t even feel that anymore.” The man leaned forward once more, his lips hovering over Ivlis’s as he locked eyes with him, their noses now touching. The feeling of the man’s bare chest on his while his own black pants rubbed against his highly delicate penis stimulated Ivlis only to buck his hips upwards. This caused him to now audibly moan out loud as he began to huff. Was this what it meant for one to be “in heat?” Ivlis felt as if he was burning up even without any of his clothes on.

Satanick once more brought his lips crashing onto Ivlis’s as his hands now removed off of his knees to slip into Ivlis’s long, dark gray hair. His fingers fiddled with the red tips, soon finding his way to Ivlis’s slightly curved red horns. Ivlis went to close his knees back up, only for him to realize that Satanick was still clearly there between them. Ivlis dug his heels into the bed when he felt Satanick grinding his pelvis into his, and the flame devil’s back arched, only heightening his contact with Satanick. The devil held his head perfectly still with his grip on his horns, his mouth never leaving Ivlis’s as he continued to rub against him.

The smacking of their lips, mouths, and Ivlis’s moaning in his throat began to meld together with the steady creaking of the bedframe as Satanick continued his escapades. Desperately, Ivlis craved air. Yet, he also found his member craving a release all of its own. Not once had Ivlis even masturbated, and yet here he was – diving headfirst into sex with his boyfriend. Come to think of it, Satanick was his only boyfriend that he had ever dated. The man had been watching him throughout their school years, and Ivlis finally wound up dating him upon Satanick’s insistence.

Satanick was his first. His first boyfriend, and now, his first lover….

Ivlis was still a bit reluctant about all of this, but he could not deny the heat and carnality that his flesh was now craving. Ivlis now found his claws that had been digging into the bed sheets wrapping around Satanick’s bare back to cling to him for stability, but also to hold him near. Maybe… this wouldn’t be so bad after all.... It did leave him with a fairly warm feeling in his chest, after all. 

Warmth, huh? 

“Hahh,” Satanick moaned out as he pulled back from Ivlis, a trail of hot breath between them, practically tangible. Satanick looked down at Ivlis’s now closed eyes, his long eyelashes resting against his reddened cheeks. Now that the mouthing had ceased, Ivlis opened his shaded golden orbs, and Satanick could see the light glaze over his eyes. He hoped that those tears were tears of happiness, though, he suspected concern also fueled Ivlis. Satanick couldn’t help but internally chuckle as a smile spread across his lips. This boy sure was the emotional type, to be sure.

That aside, Satanick knew more tears would soon be falling momentarily as he would soon be entering into Ivlis. Slipping his hands down Ivlis’s long strands of hair that framed his face with pieces that had come undone from his long ponytail, Satanick leaned his weight onto his left arm as he reached his hand down to free himself from his own button and zipper. He soon slipped his cock free from his black boxers, and Satanick felt the first tingle of anticipation running down his own spine and through his legs as he felt his flesh meet Ivlis’s.

“Ahh!” Ivlis gasped out, his voice barely audible with how little oxygen he felt he was getting into his lungs. His voice even sounded somewhat squeaky with how he cried out. Satanick’s penis had now met his. Soon, Ivlis knew he would be penetrated….

The thought once more raced through Ivlis as a tingling and icy sensation ran through his extremities. Satanick said it was going to hurt, but that soon the pain would pass. Ivlis did not enjoy pain – then again, he did not know many that did – and part of him worried on how much this was going to actually hurt. He hated that he wanted to renege on this, especially now considering the amount that they had progressed. _Perhaps this would be far enough?_ he tried to rationalize in his mind.

“S – Satanick, I – I don’t know if – ,” Ivlis stuttered out, wanting to back out of this before anything further was pursued. However, Satanick now had his right hand lifting Ivlis’s bare bottom up, his fingers fiddling with the base of Ivlis’s red, pointed tail. It was pinned beneath Ivlis as he lie on top of it, but he still felt it twitching at Satanick’s touch. His protests were silenced as he tried to control the noises that kept slipping past his lips. These sensations were not going to be stopping anytime soon; Ivlis knew this for a fact with how Satanick kept going.

“Shh,” Satanick shushed him as he pulled back from Ivlis. Reaching over to his bedside stand, Satanick fumbled around inside the drawer he pulled open, apparently soon finding what he was searching for. Ivlis watched as Satanick pulled a tube of sort filled with clear liquid over in front of him. The man then flipped the top open with his thumb, sitting back on his haunches now to readjust himself with the bottle now in his left hand. Satanick’s eyes once more met Ivlis’s shaky gaze, and he gave a simple smile. “Ivlis, you’re a virgin, aren’t you?” The way he posed this question, it felt like more of a statement than anything else.

Ivlis did not even have the strength or courage to respond to him, though the deep blush and way Ivlis reacted to stimuli was all the proof Satanick needed. Of course, he suspected that Ivlis was a virgin, but acquiring true confirmation made Satanick even more excited. He would be Ivlis’s first sexual partner.

He would be the one to make Ivlis truly his. 

Coating his index and middle finger in lube, Satanick popped the lid back down on the tube before setting the tiny cylinder off to his left. With the dip in the middle of the bed caused by their bodies, the item slid down to rest near Ivlis’s right thigh, caused him to shudder at the coldness. Satanick chuckled watching this. “Yes, I suppose it’s a bit cold. But, don’t worry; you soon won’t feel that, Buri-chan. It’s going to get very warm.”

Warm....

Ivlis’s eyes widened when he felt Satanick once more leaning over him, his left arm lying parallel to Ivlis’s body as the man’s dark, somewhat messy hair hung down in front of his face. That mischievous grin still on his lips, Satanick pushed Ivlis’s legs open more as he made his way once more to Ivlis’s buttocks. Ivlis suspected what was coming, yet he still found himself crying out when Satanick first slid in his coated index finger into Ivlis’s hole. A multitude of feelings flooded Ivlis as he realized this was truly going to be happening as Satanick prepped him for the main course. Initially, it stung a bit at first, and the icy sensation of the lube only had Ivlis wriggling against the wet and almost slimy liquid; he could not stand slimy things to begin with. What really drove Ivlis into gripping his claws onto Satanick’s shoulders was when Satanick began to pull his finger out slowly, only to somewhat jam it back inside. Ivlis let out a choked yelp the more he felt Satanick using this single digit to push its way deeper into his body. The devil even had the audacity – well, that’s how Ivlis initially saw it – to wiggle and fiddle his way around inside of Ivlis, poking and prodding at the walls of his most secret parts.

“Ahhh, nnggh,” Ivlis groaned, trying to calm the waves that were threatening to drown him. The pain and pleasure were both overwhelming each in their own regard, and Ivlis found himself opening his mouth, but nothing was coming out except the occasional moan and groan. The tears that stung his golden-yellow eyes began to well up even more; they soon spilled out, rolling back into Ivlis’s pointed ears once Satanick slid his second finger into him. Tight; it was a bit tight. “I – It hurts,” Ivlis finally mustered out. He shut his eyes, hoping to block out some of the discomfort. “Satanick, it h – ungh!” Ivlis was cut off as Satanick’s mouth pressed onto his, muffling him in a mess of sloppy and wet kisses. Satanick’s tongue once more found its way wriggling inside Ivlis’s mouth as Ivlis found himself squirming against this man’s pelvis as his fingers continued to probe and stretch him out. Yes, Satanick had warned him it would hurt at first, but even from just his two fingers, Ivlis tensed up, dreading the real thing to finally happen.

Ivlis had given his consent, albeit it silently, yet he worried if this was still the right thing to do. Satanick’s words echoed in his mind as he finally pulled his fingers out of Ivlis, some of the lube dripping down his skin onto the sheets.

_“Aren’t we a couple?”_

Yes; yes, they were. Even Ivlis knew that. Their relationship was by no means perfect, but was any? He had noticed the way other couples interacted in between classes, in the hallways, and outside of school. Some would be deeply invested in each other, not caring about anyone else seeing their public displays of affection, while others seemed to quietly but lovingly spend every minute near each other. Ivlis tried to pin where Satanick and his relationship was on the spectrum; perhaps a bit of both, though, Satanick was more prone at wanting to display his love without caring where they were. Even a simple peck on the cheek in the hall would sometimes embarrass Ivlis, worried others would see even if they did not care.

As Ivlis cracked open his wet eyelashes to find out what Satanick was up to - he had not felt the fidgeting of the man's digits inside of him for a few seconds - he watched as the man began lubing up his penis. Just from the size and girth of what he was seeing, Ivlis felt his stomach churning and his feet becoming cold as he felt his pumping blood into other parts of his body. If he had struggled with the fingers, he knew that this was surely going to hurt. He instinctively clenched his claws tighter around Satanick’s shoulders, trying to keep steady.

Satanick noticed Ivlis trying to keep it together. He couldn’t help but find it adorable that the devil that was able to control flames was such a shy and meek boy at times like this. So easily flustered. Even the tiny tears that clung to his dark eyelashes Satanick found cute; another endearing feature of this young man that Satanick could claim as his. With a smile, Satanick quickly finished this task, tossing the tube over his left shoulder to tump to the carpeted rug in his bedroom. Satanick found himself even heating up at the idea of finally being able to become one with Ivlis. He had longed for this day for quite a while, hoping that Ivlis would agree to this.

Today would be that day.

Every kiss, every trace of his fingers against Ivlis’s skin had Satanick always desiring more from their relationship. Handholding and pecks were pleasant enough, and that had been enough for these past few weeks. Be that as it may, desire had no leash, and it only grew the hunger in Satanick – something he could not tame. Nothing would get in his way this evening – not even himself. Deep down inside, Satanick felt a prick in his conscious that he might be pushing Ivlis a bit much, but the dominating side of his brain explained to him that no matter what day it was – be it today or months in the future – the first time was always the roughest; yet, it could also be the sweetest.

Satanick placed his hands on either side of Ivlis’s hips, his sticky right hand plastering itself to Ivlis’s left hip. He kept his eyes locked onto Ivlis’s, noticing the way the devil was biting his lower lip, as if to prepare himself for this. “Just relax, Ivlis,” Satanick breathed out, finding even himself getting worked up. “If you tense up, it will only be harder for you. So just breathe, and feel me.”

Ivlis did his best to try to comply with Satanick’s suggestion, closing his eyes and trying to relax his body as he first felt the initial press of Satanick against him. Ivlis immediately wanted to tighten up at this, but he soon found himself preoccupied with Satanick’s mouth now nibbling at his chest. Ivlis’s eyes flung open and his mouth gaped wide as he croaked out a choked cry as his right nipple was being twirled around inside of Satanick’s mouth, his left was now being pinched, and he was finally penetrated. All these simultaneous sensations had Ivlis crying out in both pleasure and pain.

“Mmnngh!” Ivlis managed to cry out, his voice once more sounding higher-pitched than usual as his breath hitched in his throat. He could feel himself being stretched fully and completely, and the initial pain left him feeling as if he was being torn open. “H - Hngh!” he cried out, feeling the sting of the stretching as Satanick rocked his hips back and forth into him. Ivlis found himself digging his claws into Satanick’s shoulders as he rolled his head to the right, feeling the tears soak into the sheet underneath him, tears from his left eye dripping down past his nose to join the small puddle on the bed.

Satanick thought about shushing him once more, but he realized that it was quite nice to hear Ivlis’s moans and groans. If anything, it made Satanick feel as if he was in control of something – that he was the sole one that could bring Ivlis to the edge. He wasn’t particularly fond of the flame devil crying, but he did enjoy listening to the many noises he was making as he twitched underneath him. Giving a final lick to the hardened nub in his mouth, Satanick pulled back from Ivlis’s nipple, sliding his hands down Ivlis’s shoulders, his elbows now perched above the man’s shoulders. Satanick now intertwined his right hand into Ivlis’s long hair strands, despite his hand still being a bit covered in sticky lube. His left reached up to slide Ivlis’s right hand off of his shoulder; yes, the flame devil’s claws were starting to hurt a bit as his nails dug into him, but what he really wanted was to slide his fingers together with Ivlis’s. Now, Satanick interlocked his pale fingers with Ivlis’s scaled ones as he pinned his hand to the bed in front of Ivlis’s wet and blushing face. Feeling this, Ivlis opened his eyes to stare at their hands in front of his line of vision. Gulping back the saliva and snot that was forming in the back of his throat, Ivlis sniffled a bit as he rolled his head over to look up into Satanick’s face.

Their eyes locked onto each other’s as Satanick continued to thrust into Ivlis. Bit by bit, he could feel Ivlis’s shuddering becoming less, though his thighs still shook and his chest rose and fell with each hurried breath. Sweat was starting to bead on Ivlis’s body, as well as Satanick’s. As Ivlis stared into those deep purple depths, he soon found himself breathless; yes, from the rollercoaster of emotions he had just experienced these past few minutes, but also from the look Satanick was giving him. He was strictly focused on him…as if he were truly in love with him….

Ivlis felt his heartbeat speed up at that thought. Love? This was true love, huh? They had been dating for a while, and they had told each other they had cared for each other – the word “like” and “love” tossed around somewhat mindlessly. However, this time was so different. They were merging as one.... Satanick really loved him that deeply…?

A moan soon escaped past Ivlis’s lips as he felt the first wave of pleasure washing over him, the feeling tightening in his loins and abdomen. Hearing that, Satanick gave a pleased grin as he steadily huffed. He knew that Ivlis was close now. Part of him wanted to comment on this – how Ivlis was becoming quickly accustomed to these new pleasures – but Satanick refrained for now. All that mattered right now was spilling his seed into Ivlis and getting Ivlis to release himself alongside him. Speeding up his thrusts, Satanick stretched Ivlis to his limit, reveling in the way Ivlis wriggled, the volume of his moans increasing the harder and faster Satanick pumped into him. Feeling the sweat beading on his forehead and back, Satanick knew that he was ready as the pleasure mounted in his own loins. All it took for Ivlis to be the first to cum was when Satanick slipped his right hand out of Ivlis’s hair to now grasp onto his hard and twitching member. He did not even have to stroke him for long - his fingers rubbing the flame devil, his thumb pressing into his head to feel liquid already secreting out of Ivlis.

“Ahhh, hahhh!” Ivlis yelled out, no longer caring about how loud he was. No one else was here besides the two of them anyway. Ivlis’s eyes rolled back into his head as he finally felt his first orgasm occur. Everything became so hot; every sense was more heightened. He could hear the noises of their flesh meeting and their ragged breathing, smell the scent of sex in the air, and feel new things he had never thought possible before. Ivlis arched his back as he came, squeezing his thighs tightly around Satanick as he held onto Satanick's hand and shoulder as he felt the warm sensation of Satanick’s sperm entering him.

As if almost in unison, the two climaxed. As Ivlis struggled to open his eyes as the pleasure still clung to him in rolling waves, he watched Satanick lower his taut neck, a satisfied expression on his face before looking down into Ivlis’s once more. As Satanick puffed from exerting himself, he offered a pleased grin down at Ivlis, his eyes hooded yet sparkling from this moment. Releasing Ivlis’s wet member, Satanick trailed his hand over Ivlis’s stomach to wipe some of the warm, sticky liquid off onto Ivlis’s skin.

Ivlis felt the fluttering across his stomach as Satanick’s fingers touched him, but what really sent him aflutter was when Satanick whispered out in a hot breath, “Ivlis, I love you.”

On cue, Ivlis felt warm tears springing back into his eyes as every cell in his body cried out in reciprocation, “I…I love you, too, Satanick.” 

Warm.

The ever-growing warmth kept spreading like fire....


	4. Sunshine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry this took forever to bring another chapter out! My writing process is horrible. XD I start super gung-ho on a series, and I have so many ideas, but then I start running out of steam some days to write. Real life also gets in the way, and dabbling in some other things, too. 
> 
> But, rest assured - I still have big plans to keep working on this series and the others I have planned. There will be some juicy stuff coming in this little high school drama. ;) 
> 
> Thank you for your patience, love, and support! Love ya'll! :D <3

As quietly as he could, Ivlis turned the door handle of his home. It was well past midnight, and he did not want to disturb anyone’s sleep. He hadn’t realized how late it actually had gotten. Well, it did not help that he had fallen asleep for a bit after Satanick and him had….

Reminded once more of just a few hours prior, Ivlis felt the embarrassment creeping up his back and his cheeks beginning to blush once more as he realized what just had occurred. Satanick and him had made love; he had given his virginity away to Satanick. Even now, Ivlis could feel the warmth spreading throughout his body as he recalled the pleasure and the pain of those heightened, tender moments. Ivlis could still recall Satanick trying to help Ivlis clean himself up with nearby tissues before the exhaustion eventually weighed Ivlis’s heavy mind down in slumber. He had woken to find himself curled up on Satanick’s bed, cuddled near the still-awake devil. Satanick’s whispery voice had commented to him how Ivlis was quite tired after such exertion, and that it was normal to have fallen asleep shortly after sex.

_“It’s perfectly normal, Buri-chan,” the young man with the hooded violet eyes whispered out. “Intercourse is quite eventful, so it’s natural to be worn out.” Satanick also warned him to not be alarmed if there was a bit of blood on the sheets from the penetration. All the while, the devil had rested his head in his right palm as he propped himself up keeping his eyes fixed on Ivlis’s form lying underneath his bedsheets. Ivlis’s claws were tucked near his chin as he rested, and Satanick took the opportunity to place his free hand over Ivlis’s. His thumb gently rubbed the back of Ivlis’s claw as he smiled coyly down at him. All the while, Ivlis lie there as a mixture of exhaustion, warmth, and a bit of trepidation filled him._

Satanick had offered to bring Ivlis home, but Ivlis had insisted he would be fine to make it back on his own. He figured some time alone walking in the cool night air would help him process things, but that was to little avail. Even now as he quietly opened the door to his home with a light push, Ivlis still questioned if he had done the right thing. He had not exactly denied the sex – it had been quite pleasurable, after all – but he still worried. He feared if others found out; what would they think? Was someone’s virginity supposed to just be given away like that? But this was Satanick – his boyfriend…. His lover. That word sent a warmth spreading through his heart once more, and Ivlis placed his free hand over his chest as he slunk inside the darkened entryway, softly shutting the door behind him with a gentle click.

“I’m home,” he whispered out quietly. Of course, no response was given, much to Ivlis’s relief. He let out a steady breath he realized he had been holding in. Thankfully, Papa Siralos was not around to see him home so late. He was probably upstairs fast asleep in his room, which Ivlis was thankful for. Igls would probably also be sleeping, he assumed. After all, no one would seriously wait for him all night. His family worried for him – particularly his sister – but Ivlis knew there was a level of unspoken trust and affinity among all of them. There would be no need to have a sleepless night on his behalf.

Slipping off his school bag and his boots into the corner of the doorway, Ivlis quietly made his way up the small incline in the entryway. He was first greeted by the dim lighting of a table lamp left on in the living room off towards his left while pale moonlight shone through both the living room window and kitchen window towards his right. Light wooden stairs immediately to his right led upstairs to the bedrooms while the hallway in front led to the rest of the house, a bathroom, and the back deck area. Ivlis opted to just head upstairs to bed; after all, he was still tired, and school was not going to cease just from his exhaustion. Life would continue on per usual.

As Ivlis softly crept up the stairs – his hand on the wooden banister – as warm yet troublesome feelings still filled his chest. Yes, that was right; life was going to continue on like normal. But what did that mean for Satanick and him? Would their relationship change now? Would they still remain close or even closer? Would Satanick display even more affection towards him, or would he ignore him now that they had sex? That last fear practically froze Ivlis in place as he deeply frowned. What an unfounded, ridiculous thought. He had heard about couples that deteriorated after they had started becoming intimate with each other; one party had gotten what they wanted and decided to split things off.

However, if that was the case, why would Satanick have laid next to him afterwards? Would he really have given him such a tender look if he had truly "gotten what he wanted?”

 _Stupid_ , Ivlis thought to himself. _So, so stupid._

Satanick would never do that to him. He knew that. At least, he hoped….

Ivlis now found himself outside the door of his bedroom slightly off to the left of the stairs. Right next door was Igls’s room. The door was closed, so Ivlis took that as a good sign she was resting. A quick look down the end of the hallway to his right told him Papa Siralos was most likely sleeping, as well. Ivlis let out a light sigh before quietly turning the doorknob to his room. He quickly snuck in before closing and locking it behind him.

Silence.

All that he could hear in his bedroom was the quiet peace of silence. So, why did it also feel a bit deafening? The moonlight shone through his dark curtains, and Ivlis found it to be quiet comforting in its own way. Shuffling across the rug in his room, Ivlis made it across to the window, tucking part of the right curtain to the side to allow more light into the room.

Everything felt… surreal. What the exact word was for this, Ivlis could not be sure, but that was close enough. He let out a light sigh as he tried to piece together exactly what he was feeling. Nevertheless, his heavy mind would not let him think. Letting out another breathy sigh, Ivlis turned back towards his bed. He slid off his jacket and shirt that were a bit crinkled, but he shrugged that off, letting them drop to a pile on his floor. He then unbuckled his pants before sliding under his sheets in just his boxers.

Curling up among his sheets, Ivlis could once more envision and feel the way Satanick’s hands and mouth felt on his body; how his sheets had caressed at his skin like Satanick had. Once more, Ivlis could feel the warmth spreading through his body as he reflected on the sensations that were still pumping throughout his mind and flesh. The young man curled his knees up to his chest, holding himself in an almost fetal position as he wrapped his arms around his legs. He shut his eyes tightly to let the sweet release of a heavy mind and body bring him to slumber.

A repetitious tapping was what stirred Ivlis awake. He slowly cracked his eyes open, and through the veil of his sheets, he could see that morning had arrived thanks to the light glow piercing through the white sheet. He groaned as he slowly stretched out to lie flat on his back, realizing that falling asleep in such a position was probably not the best idea. He supposed he could walk it off on the way to school.

That thought spurred him awake a bit more as a strange sensation coursed through him. School…. There he would see Satanick; logical to see a fellow student there, yes. Of course, the thought made him happy, but why did he also feel a bit… scared? Ivlis simply shook his head to try to clear his thoughts from such nonsense as he pulled the covers off of his face, squinting his eyes shut at the sunshine that immediately greeted him.

The rapping only grew louder and louder towards his left, and Ivlis looked towards the door right as Igls’s voice called out through the wood. “Ivlis, come on! You’ll be late for school. Breakfast is getting cold.”

“I’m up, I’m up,” Ivlis called back to her, though his voice still held the notes of sleep still there. He cleared his throat as he rolled his head back to the center of his bed, staring up at the ceiling. Lifting his right arm up, Ivlis placed it across his forehead as he lie there momentarily. His thick locks of hair helped block some of the chaffing of his scales on his skin, though, he was used to such a thing after all these years. Letting the dregs of slumber fade from him, Ivlis finally lowered his arm down again, taking notice of the scales that traveled up his forearm and faded off at the elbow. Part of him still did not quite understand why he was made in such a fashion, but he knew that was silly to even question. After all, Papa Siralos had made him, and Papa Siralos was always right.

Thinking of him had Ivlis now spurred on to get moving for the day ahead. He did not want to ignore the breakfast that was waiting for him downstairs. This was the normal routine every morning, but to refuse such a thing would be horribly rude to Papa. Slipping out from underneath his sheets, Ivlis made his way around his bedroom to pull out a fresh shirt and pair of pants from his closet and dresser, respectively. He quickly got dressed, standing in front of his vanity table, a swivel mirror perched in the middle of its frame. Buttoning his shirt up, he snatched another uniform jacket from a nearby pile to slip on. He knew that if Igls or Pap Siralos saw his room in its current state of scattered clothing and unkemptness, he would be in for a talking to, but right now he was unconcerned with such matters. He raised his left hand up to fiddle with his hair to fix some of the loose and messy strands, deciding that was good for now; he knew it would be taken care of in a matter of minutes once downstairs. The boy knew how to take care of himself, but the jittery feeling that was beginning to slowly thrum through his veins was putting the flame devil on edge. It would be best to simply start his day to get some of these nerves under control. Perhaps a return to a familiar regimen would do him well. 

Turning on his heel, Ivlis made his way out of his room, making sure to close the door behind himself to close off his messy room. Igls had thankfully left, most likely eating her breakfast as he could hear the clinking of silverware on chinaware. Above that, he could hear the sizzle of food being prepared with the head chef humming along. Ivlis could not help but smile at this. It made him feel good to know that Papa Siralos was always so loving and kind, making sure that Igls and Ivlis were always provided for. Even with the sunlight streaming through the windows of the home, Ivlis could feel the sunshine from his parental figure even before he fully made it down the stairs and into the awaiting aroma of the kitchen.

As expected, there stood Siralos, standing at the stove with a spatula in hand as he hummed a familiar tune to himself. Ivlis recognized it quite well; that song was one that his sister and him had grown up with thanks to one of the music boxes that Siralos had played for them growing up. His long beige hair flowed down around him, and just from his profile view, Ivlis could see him smiling brightly. The man turned to look at him with bright orange eyes sparking behind red-rimmed glasses. At first, his expression was one of surprise – as if he was shocked to see Ivlis actually home. That soon faded into his normal, carefree features as he practically beamed at him.

“Good morning, Ivlis,” Siralos happily greeted his son. “Go on, go on. Sit, sit.” He waved the black spatula in his hand over at the empty chair that was across from Igls at the round, wooden table in the center of the room. “I’m getting your breakfast ready.” 

Without another thought or word, Ivlis simply obeyed his father’s gentle order, pulling out the matching chair to sit across the table from Igls, who was sipping on her glass of orange juice as she watched Ivlis take a seat. She soon placed it down, staring at her brother. Ivlis could immediately feel her un-opened gaze on him, and he looked down sheepishly. He could already feel her curiosity burning into him as she watched him. He knew she was wondering how things had gone with Satanick last night, and the thought of that had Ivlis once more squirming in discomfort at the idea. Clearly, he would dare not tell her about _that_ , but to even think of what he could say without lying to his own sister was a bit of a struggle for the young man to piece together. 

Ivlis's eyes soon went to the light blue vase in the center of the table, now focused on the cluster of sunflowers resting in it. The brown and yellow flowers were always there, replaced with fresh ones as soon as they began to wilt. Sunlight and sunshine - two things that always reminded Ivlis of home and his family. The sunflowers that were perked up only further served as a gentle reminder of the warmth this place could provide. Though, this morning's warmth felt a tad discomforting for Ivlis. Even Igls's closed eyes on him were piercing despite their blinding glow concealed behind her pale eyelids. 

Thankfully, Ivlis did not have to sit there too long in his own created awkwardness, as Siralos soon stood at his right-hand side to place two large plates in front of him. One was piled with large, fluffy pancakes topped in syrup and a slab of butter, while the other housed two eggs with a side of bacon. As Ivlis’s eyes adjusted to the normal buffet of delicacies that Siralos typically prepared for them, he soon returned with a glass of juice for Ivlis as well. Ivlis was about to thank him when Siralos continued his parental treatment, commenting on Ivlis’s disheveled hair.

“Ivlis, you can’t go to school looking so unprepared for the day. Here.”

Siralos’s hands now on his scalp and loosening his ponytail had Ivlis freeze up for a moment at the familiar sensation of these hands on his head. It was fairly normal for him to be “fixed up” by both father and sister, but to now feel hands running through his hair only reminded Ivlis of someone else’s fingers on his head. Ivlis did his best to remain still and not shiver at the sensation his mind and body were trying to shake off. He picked up the nearby silverware next to his plate and began methodically slicing at his pancakes with the butter knife to begin eating. The sweetness of the fluffy item combined with the syrup and butter was always appreciated. In a way, a normal morning like any other made Ivlis feel a bit more relaxed as he tried to forget the events of last night. Nothing had to change, right? He could go about his daily life as he always had. Sex did not have to change a relationship, right?

Shaking his head at these intrusive thoughts once more trying to creep into his mind, Siralos placed his left hand atop Ivlis’s head; he appeared to be done with his fatherly duties of fixing Ivlis to look a bit more prim and proper. Ivlis naturally looked up at his father, who offered Ivlis a soft smile with just as soft eyes. “You seem a bit out of it today, Ivlis. Did you stay out late with Satanick?”

It was an innocent question, but one that Ivlis found himself getting jumpy at that he practically dropped his clutched utensils. He opened his mouth for a few seconds before anything came out, though he hoped it looked a bit more natural than he feared that it really did. “I – I’m sorry,” he apologized, lowering his head; he could not bring himself to look his father in the eyes lest he blurt out more than necessary. “I should have come home earlier than I did. I’m sorry, Papa.”

A gentle chuckle and a small rub between his red horns was all that greeted Ivlis in response to reassure him that all was seemingly well. “It’s okay, Ivlis. You don’t need to explain yourself to me. As long as you are having fun and being safe, then that is what matters.” Siralos shuffled back over to the kitchen counters, soon taking a nearby wet rag to start his new cleaning duties. He hummed to himself for a bit, and Ivlis could appreciate the soft silence as he continued to slowly munch at the food, keeping his eyes downcast towards the plates. He momentarily glanced up over at Igls when he felt her closed-eye stare on him, soon looking down once more. Did Igls suspect anything? Ivlis knew how observant Igls was, and that she would be the first one to notice when something was off about him. Still, Ivlis did his best to appear nonchalant.

 _You’re only making it worse, Ivlis_ , he reprimanded himself. _Stop it._ It was silly; so very ludicrous to even worry about any of this. The clattering of pans being put into the nearby metal sink and the deluge of water over them had Ivlis feeling normalcy returning yet again.

Back and forth, back and forth – the flame demon felt this cyclical battle in his body and mind as he finished up his meal. Placing his dirty utensils onto the plate, Ivlis pushed back from the table, calling out to Siralos, “Thank you for the food, Papa.” Igls soon followed suit, standing up as well and reaching over to gather Ivlis’s dirty dishes with her own. Her long blonde hair floated in front of her face briefly, but Ivlis could feel her curious gaze on him. The girl then made her way over to Siralos with the sticky dishware.

Taking the opportunity of both his family members being occupied, Ivlis found himself turning on his heel and slipping out of the kitchen and into the entryway. He quickly bent down to pull his shoes on, retrieving his school bag in his left hand. Already, his right hand was on the door knob, and he called out over his shoulder, “See you later, Papa.” Igls now entered the hall as soon as Ivlis had finished speaking. His golden eyes met her closed eyelids for a brief moment, and he pressed his lips together in a bit of shame. What was he even doing? Was he that desperate to try and “run away” from the confusion inside that he would abandon his own sister on their typical walks to school together? Ivlis lowered his head slightly, simply waiting for Igls to slip her own shoes on and retrieve her bag.

Siralos now manifested in the entryway now, a black pan in one hand and a yellow drying towel in the other as he continued his fatherly duties. If there as any concern over Ivlis's odd behavior, his cheery face did not show it. “Have a good day, you two. And don’t forget your bentos.”

Igls raised up a blue and white plaid handkerchief in her right hand, wrapped around two bento boxes that were stacked atop each other. When had she procured that? Ivlis wondered. He just chalked that up to his muddled thoughts of not paying attention to anything around him. “Right here, Papa. Thank you for the food.” Igls said, a soft smile returned to her father.

Taking that as a cue to head out for the day, Ivlis finally pushed the handle down, pulling the door open. Sunlight streamed in through the crack in the door, and Ivlis turned back to give a tiny smile back to his Siralos, who returned it with a smile of his own and a wave of the towel over his right hand. The demon then began striding forward out of the home – out of a place he typically found so safe to head to one that was supposed to be just as welcoming. Ivlis knew that the turmoil he was feeling was not from either of these locations, but purely inside himself. As he continued striding forward down the tiny walkway that led away from the home and to the sidewalk, Ivlis prayed that the sunshine would help clear some of the clouds in his mind's eye. 


	5. Longing Eyes and Mind

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, I am deeply sorry for making you all wait for a new chapter! I promise I have been working on these series bit by bit and have quite the few scenes already pre-prepared and planned for this fic among a bunch more oneshots and others. I thank you all for your patience and waiting with me. I do hope to be a bit more productive this month with fics. Wish me luck! XD <3

The tapping of his boots off the sidewalks echoed back to him, occasionally interrupted by the crunch of some leaves that had begun to fall from nearby trees. Early morning chatter of neighboring families and those headed off for another day of regular life faded past Ivlis’s ears as everything blurred together. Walking certainly did help stave off some of the jitters he was experiencing, but all of them were quite difficult to shake off.

It was just another normal day. There was nothing to become worked up over.

Logically, he knew that, and he told himself so as he continued to practically jog across the path. Be that was it may, Ivlis still could not help but feed the irrational fear and anticipation of seeing Satanick at school. Part of him believed it would be better to simply take his time – perhaps even avoid going to school today. Yet his feet seemed to have a mind of their own, bringing him only further and further towards his destination.

“Ivlis! Wait up!” Igls’s voice shouting out at him to slow down had the flame demon pressing his lips tightly together once more in embarrassment. Why was he acting this way, like a petulant child trying to hide something from everyone? He couldn’t help but think that; after all, all the proof was there. Letting out a light sigh and slowing down his long strides, Ivlis waited until Igls was side by side with him. Sticking his hands into his front pockets so the straps of his school bag rested against his wrist, Ivlis kept his eyes down, focused on the concrete in front of him.

Huffing out a bit from having to catch up with her brother, Igls breathed out, “Ivlis, what’s the matter? You’ve been acting strange all morning. Are you okay?” Her long blonde waves bounced behind her as she tried to keep speed with him.

Questions asked out of concern, but Ivlis also could not help but feel that they were a bit prying. “Yeah, I’m fine, Igls. Don’t worry.” Even his tone sounded rougher than usual, which internally had Ivlis’s heart sinking. Igls was his sister – one of his biggest supporters in anything he did. Sure, she was a worrywart over him, and sometimes a bit too overprotective much to Ivlis’s dismay when in front of others, but never did he want to hurt her with his actions and words.

Igls sliding in front of him to directly face him had Ivlis stumbling on his forward trek. Ivlis naturally felt his body pulling backwards to not run into her, though his feet did not immediately follow suit. Hands now out of his pockets, Ivlis attempted to use this as some sort of mechanism to keep him from stumbling further. As he went to regain his footing and tripped backwards, Igls reached forward clasping Ivlis’s right hand in hers. The elegant way she moved looked as if she put no effort into this. Igls was always like this when it came to making sure he was safe – a serious aura seemed to exude from her even without a look of worry crossing her features. However, Ivlis knew her well enough to sense this about her. With his feet now properly aligned under his hips, Ivlis let out a deep breath of relief. “Thanks,” he mumbled out to her, though the look of confusion on his face betrayed what he really thought. Just what was with her stopping him like this?

Igls released her hold on his hand, now reaching up to brush back his long bangs. Ivlis simply stood there, allowing her to do this. She then stood on the tips of her toes to lean in and press her forehead against his. With his sister so close to him like this, Ivlis held his breath, unsure what to make of such a thing. Was she seriously checking to see if he had a cold or something?

Seemingly satisfied with her deductions, Igls slid back, allowing his hair to fall back into place. Her expression remained curious while also confounded. “Hmm, you don’t have a fever,” she began. Left unspoken was her following train of thought – _why was he acting so peculiar._ Her mouth turned into a tiny frown as her shut eyes now peered directly into his. “Ivlis, did something happen with Satanick?”

Of course this would be the next logical thought in this equation, but it still caught Ivlis off guard. Always so discerning, this sister of his. A tiny chill ran down his spine, but Ivlis played his flustered expression off as nothing amiss. “I’m fine, Igls. Really.” He did not necessarily like lying to his sister, but was it truly a lie when nothing really did happen? Sex wasn’t something to be embarrassed about; well, in those terms, he supposed that it was a bit humiliating to admit that he had lost his virginity last night. This was not something the typical family would be conversing over. Besides, it was a private matter. Sexual partners did not need to be discussed between siblings. The idea of Igls inquiring for such things had Ivlis feeling a bit ill, though he shot this ludicrous thought down as soon as it popped up. She wasn’t asking for such a thing, and he knew that; she was merely concerned for his safety and well-being.

To not cause her more unnecessary worry, Ivlis put on a smile as he raised his right hand up to place it atop her golden head underneath her ever-glowing halo. “You worry too, much, Igls. I promise that I’m fine.”

Igls kept her closed gaze on him for a moment longer before curiously raising an eyebrow up at him. “You didn’t eat anything healthy over there, did you, Ivlis?”

The demon could not help but let out a tiny huff of a chuckle at his sister’s train of thought. He slipped his hand off of her head before side-stepping her to her left to continue onwards. Agile on her feet, Igls was soon right behind him once more, hounding him with her perpetually shut eyes narrowed in annoyance. Hearing her lecture him once more about his poor eating habits had the young man smiling at such an exchange – one that he would have often found annoying, yet in this early morning light, it seemed like an almost soothing balm to some of his confusion.

Nothing had changed in this part of his life; everything moved along as per usual.

There really was nothing to fret over, was there?

Tell himself that he might, yet having it meld together and actually be applied to his heart and mind was a different story entirely. Be that as it may, Ivlis did his best to keep the nerves down. It wasn’t a big deal….

The siblings arrived at school on time, traded their outside shoes for the school regulated ones, and began to head to their respective classes among the sea of other students. Familiar faces blurred by one after another, greeting each other in small talk, friendly banter, or obscenities depending on the interactions. Those that would say hello to Ivlis he would greet in return with his simple smile, but he could not help but look over his shoulder every now and then for those familiar curled, purple horns that would stand above a crowd. In a way, Ivlis wasn’t sure if he was searching for Satanick purely out of curiosity, desire, or nervousness. Whatever the case, the rambunctious devil did not show his face before the bell tolled for first class to begin. Ivlis found it slightly strange that he had not shown up yet, though in some strange way, he knew it was not exactly out of the ordinary. Satanick did have that reputation for being a “bad boy” based on some of the candidates he would hang with. It was not uncommon for him to show up late or skip classes at times. Still, Ivlis could not help but keep searching for him through the day as he moved from room to room.

Thinking that Satanick would show up at least by lunch, Ivlis scanned the cafeteria over the crowds that he typically saw Satanick gathered with. He wasn’t with that orca Idate today, which Ivlis was thankful for. It seemed that delinquent was giving a bit of a hard time to a white wolf that Ivlis did not quite know too well, nor did he want to get involved in such affairs. His next assumption was to look over at a gaggle of girls, a somber-pink haired girl being the main focus of the group as she flamboyantly chatted and giggled with the surrounding others. Of course Satanick wasn’t with Lil today, especially with so many more vying for her attention. In a way, that lifted a bit of a burden off of Ivlis’s heart, knowing that at least Satanick wasn’t spending too much time around his ex-girlfriend. Why he cared now, he couldn’t be sure; it did not typically bother Ivlis to see Satanick with others, even exes. The demon hated to think he was unconsciously jealous of such a thing, and he quickly shook his head to clear such silly thoughts away.

Turning his gaze towards the left gave him a clear view of the door that led outside. A figure leaned in the open doorway with his back agaisnt the frame. He resemebled Satanick in some ways, yet in many others was oh-so different. It appeared that Satanick was not with Fumus either. A perpetually moody look on his face with dark bags underneath his eyes, Ivlis noticed a cigarette hanging out of the right side of Fumus’s mouth, slowly letting the smoke drift out of the open door. Ivlis couldn’t believe the rules he would break without any repercussions. He had never seen Fumus actually become violent with any of the faculty, but he had heard rumors that even they were intimidated by the aura he gave off. In a way, Ivlis couldn’t blame them; if he had the choice, he would rather avoid Satanick’s older brother at all costs. The man’s dark gray eyes shifted to now stare at Ivlis, as he must have felt Ivlis’s gaze on him. Quickly, Ivlis averted his eyes and moved on. A quick sweep over the room told him what he needed to know anyway. Satanick was nowhere to be found.

A bit disheartened, Ivlis felt the corners of his mouth droop down a bit. Was Satanick alright? Just where was he today? Was he not coming to school at all?

Just why was Ivlis so fixated on sending his eyes and energy on these longing searches?

Was Satanick… avoiding him? 

A gentle hand on his right shoulder had Ivlis marginally jump at the sudden surprise. In a way, he was thankful to be freed again from these spiraling thoughts. He had not realized he had zoned out like this right in the middle of the bustling cafeteria. Looking over his shoulder, Ivlis was met once more with his sister’s concerned yet serene expression. “Ivlis, come eat with me. Papa packed us bentos, remember?”

Ah, that’s right; it was clearly lunchtime, and the demon found his stomach grumbling upon thinking of the delicious food that Papa Siralos had prepared. Even without knowing what had lurked inside each box, he knew it would be delicious as always. Nodding in response to his sister’s request, Ivlis followed her to an empty section of the cafeteria to take a seat next to her. Once the bento boxes had been unpacked and opened, Ivlis could easily smell the sweet and savory scents of today’s freshly made items. The corners of his mouth began to curl up into a soft smile once more. A simple meal that could do wonders for his mood knowing it was packed with such care. Ivlis closed his eyes, placing the palms of his claws together to say, “Thank you for the food,” before he began to dig in. The first initial bite of a clump of rice clamped between his chopsticks was savory, and it brought a familiar comfort to the demon. At least this could help refuel his hunger; he hoped that perhaps it could also refresh his wandering mind.

Unbeknownst to Ivlis, Igls kept her gaze on him the entire time he was eating. She made small talk about the latest updates in her classes, checking in with Ivlis to make sure his classes were going just as well. Surprisingly, Ivlis found himself responding back to his sister the more that he ate. Once more, he realized that overthinking really was bad for his health.

“I’ll be a bit later today than usual,” Igls continued on as she finished placing the last morsel of food between her lips. After a few chews, she explained, “We have a late kendo practice today, and I don’t want to miss the chance to teach the new girls what’s going to be on the final.”

Ivlis raised a curious eyebrow up at that. “Final? Igls, that’s months away, isn’t it?”

Even before she issued out her reasoning, Ivlis knew what the answer would be: “It’s never too early to start preparing, Ivlis.” Stated so matter-of-factly, Ivlis could not help but give a small chuckle at that, though this did not seem to disturb Igls one bit as she continued on. “Make sure you take it easy tonight when you get home, please. You still don’t look so good.” She reached over to begin taking Ivlis’s empty box to stack with her, rewrapping it in the handkerchief it was originally nestled in. Ivlis noticed a tiny glimpse of a smile on her lips when she realized that Ivlis had actually eaten everything, especially the vegetables.

“Yes, Mom,” he teased her, now resting his chin in his left palm as he propped his elbow onto the table some of his red scales scraping against the hard plastic. 

Igls shook her head at Ivlis’s mocking tone with that same soft smile splayed across her features. In a way, she seemed a bit more… relaxed? Ivlis hoped that he had not been the cause behind any of her concern; however, knowing his sister well enough, he knew that the most probable catalyst was him. As Igls gathered her stuff to head out, Ivlis resolved to do his best to put this matter to rest. He could not afford to keep acting in such a melancholic manner simply because Satanick wasn’t showing up. 

Then again, if Igls was going to be late with club, perhaps he could meander to check on Satanick at his apartment to make sure he was truly well.

“Oh, I almost forgot.” Igls turned to face Ivlis once more as she was on her way towards her next class. “Will you do me a favor beforehand and bring me my shoes? I’m going to just head out directly from the gymnasium today after practice.”

“Oh,” Ivlis replied. “Yeah, sure. No problem.” Anyone else that had responded in such a simplistic and almost blasé manner could be taken as being rude. Thankfully this was his sister, and she knew him well enough to recognize his mannerisms. She offered him a soft smile and a “thank you” before heading out. Watching her walk off with school bag and empty boxes in hand, Ivlis let out a steady sigh as he watched a sea of students slowly trickle out of the lunch hall. He supposed he should be on his way, as well.

The remainder of the day continued as normal as any other. Classes flowed on in a steady manner, chatter was more than abundant, and incessant ringing bells directed the students on where to head to next. All of it moved on in a timely manner, though Ivlis felt that some moments dragged on. Be that as it may, he made his way to his locker near the front of the building to gather his shoes and belongings. Part of him felt tired after such a long day of non-stop lectures and classes, and he debated on simply returning home. Igls did tell him to take it easy, after all.

Ivlis shook his head and chuckled to himself. He had been told many of times how stubborn he could be. Airheaded and clumsy were other adjectives that others had said of him, though all of these were not exactly compliments. In hindsight, Ivlis knew that such personality traits could be a bit off-putting to some, yet others would classify him as meek. He could not understand their line of reasoning sometimes.

Letting out a light breath, Ivlis slipped on his outdoor boots to head outside. He lagged behind many of the other students that eagerly rushed out the doors. His movements were a bit more sluggish, and he could not help but feel tired. Was he deliberately taking things slow to avoid the choice looming ahead of him? A simple one, in reality, but one he found a bit daunting. Would it be appropriate for him to suddenly show up to Satanick’s place again the day after they had been intimate? Would that only invite more? Would Ivlis look like a promiscuous encroacher?

 _Stupid!_ He knew how stupid that sounded, yet he could not help but worry about such trivial things. It was normal for couples to worry about each other, right? Although, would it be rude to ignore Igls’s advice to rest? Surely checking in on another was the polite thing to do.

 _You can do this, Ivlis,_ he told himself. Using his right index claw to hold open the back of his tall black boots, Ivlis shut the door to the cubical locker with a light thunk. Once his shoes were properly slipped on, Ivlis straightened himself, snatching the straps of his school bag to lift it alongside his left hip. Breathing in a deep breath, Ivlis determined that visiting Satanick would do him well.

Igls.

Remembering his sister’s name, Ivlis paused in his steps towards the front door. The demon placed a hand on his forehead as he reprimanded himself for the umpteenth time today. Just what was going on with his brain that he could not even remember a simple request from Igls to bring her shoes to her before heading home?! Tuning around, he traversed down the row of lockers to get to Igls’s to retrieve her own black boots. Looking down, Ivlis realized that he should also probably take his boots back off if traveling through the school to get to the other side. However, he did not quite feel like changing shoes again thanks to his own oversight. _It should be fine,_ he told himself; no big deal to quickly bring this to Igls. Plus, he could just leave through the back door to the outside afterwards.

With the newly acquired item, Ivlis began to make the long trek back down the hallways and stairs of the large building to the northeastern part of the school where the gymnasium lie. Already his legs were feeling worn, but at least most of the students had either filtered out of the building or were off to their own afterschool activities and clubs. At least he wouldn’t have to really deal with anyone right now - a blessing in disguise.

Finally, Ivlis rounded the corner that would bring him to his destination He could already hear the light thumping and grunts of the students hard at work on their techniques. Two large doors in the center of the right wall would bring him into the spacious area. He felt a bit bad at having to interrupt the lesson, but since his sister was a prominent member of it, he hoped this would let him have an excuse. 

As Ivlis began to make his way to the doors, a light tapping sound behind him alerted Ivlis that someone else was in the presumably empty hall with him. He assumed it was another member of the kendo club making their way to practice, albeit they were late. Looking over his right shoulder to determine who was there to move out of their way, Ivlis’s heart suddenly skipped a beat as he recognized the all too familiar form that leaned against the wall. His arms were casually crossed across his black uniform as his right spiral horn rested against said wall. A playful smile was painted across his lips as his deep amethyst eyes locked onto Ivlis. 

“Hey. Long time no see, Buri-chan.”


	6. Songbird

Ivlis was unsure how long he had stood there, yet the continued sparring noises echoing out from the gym remained uninterrupted. However long he was frozen there did not matter, as Satanick only chuckled at the surprised demon. Effortlessly pushing himself up from his lackadaisical pose, Satanick uncrossed his arms and strode over towards Ivlis. The closer he got gave Ivlis enough time to blink and register that Satanick was truly here in the flesh; he wasn’t a mirage or some fabrication of Ivlis’s mind. “W – What are you doing here?” Ivlis managed to sputter out.

Arriving directly in front of him now, Satanick chuckled, placing his right hand on his hip as he stared down into Ivlis’s puzzled face. “Why, I go to this same school, Buri. Did you forget that?”

Further confirmation that Satanick was not some sort of hallucination – he was back to once more teasing Ivlis per usual. Ivlis shook his head, the long pieces of hair in front of his face swishing back and forth. “Th – That’s not what I meant! I mean… you’re so late. I didn’t see you all day.”

“Oh? What’s this?” Satanick’s grin grew, lighting up his eyes and creasing them at the corners as he gave a sly smile at the flustered demon. “You were worried about me.” Not a question; a statement – one that Ivlis could not deny was the truth.

“Well, y – yeah,” Ivlis mumbled out, lowering his eyes to stare down, though the most he could see was the bit of space between their black uniforms. When had Satanick gotten so close? “I….” Ivlis found the words hard to get out. It was a simple thing to tell Satanick that he had been concerned for him, but telling him that he had been actively looking for him half of the day.... To Ivlis, it felt that such an admonition was desperate. That internal cycle of puzzlement once more began to swirl inside of Ivlis as he debated what was the appropriate thing to say in a situation like this.

In a way, he was glad that Satanick was the more forward type when it came to these matters. He had never quite been good at voicing his feelings, and such drastic changes to their relationship status had only further stunted his ability to properly communicate. Others had frequently told him he was kind, but that he was also a bit too serious. Perhaps he really was just being a stick in the mud about this whole situation. 

“Don’t be ashamed to say you were thinking about me, Ivlis.”

Ivlis now found himself with his back pressed against the right-hand wall as Satanick stood mere centimeters away from him, practically leaning into him. Just when had they gotten into such a precarious position?!

“You must be so lost in thought,” Satanick continued on, a flash of what could only be classified as concern displayed momentarily on his face. With his left hand, Satanick reached out to cup Ivlis’s right cheek in his palm. Ivlis shuddered at the sudden sensation of these cool yet soft fingers on his skin; he barely registered that he had let his bag and Igls’s shoes slip from his hands with light thumps to the floor. “I understand that feeling perfectly well, too, Buri. Never mind that I slept in today; I was also pretty lost in my own mind, as well.”

Ivlis could sense what was coming, yet he did not stop it. It still surprised him to hear Satanick whisper out, “I was thinking of you, too, Ivlis,” a mischievous grin across his lips as he leaned in closer to the already cornered devil.

Before Ivlis knew it, he found his back being pushed further onto the wall as Satanick’s mouth soon silenced any protests he might have had. Ivlis’s golden eyes widened at the sudden and intense kiss. His befuddled mind was starting to momentarily clear only to become fogged up yet again thanks to this not-so-surprising kiss. He placed his hands atop Satanick’s shoulders, ready to push him back. This was not the time or the place for making out! He could already feel his cheeks burning up in both desire and embarrassment, hating the idea of anyone else – especially Igls! – to see him in such a state. Still, Ivlis found his own mouth obediently responding to Satanick’s as the taller man meshed and moved his mouth over Ivlis’s, forcing his lips open to slip his tongue in. Ivlis instinctively moaned at this, soon followed by his body tensing up. He shouldn’t be enjoying this – not here of all places!

He now moaned in his mouth to hint at Satanick to back off. Of course, that was a foolish attempt on his part. Satanick only seemed to become more excited, his closed eyelashes resting atop his porcelain cheeks in bliss. His left hand had left Ivlis’s face to now snake his arm around Ivlis’s waist to bring his hips into contact with his. His right arm pressed against the wall to hold himself steady while simultaneously trapping Ivlis in this makeshift hideaway.

Ivlis was not sure how long they had been in this position for, but the lightheadedness he was experiencing was certainly some indicator. What snapped him back to alertness was when he began to feel Satanick’s right fingertips now slipping underneath his white shirt, simply touching the bare skin over his hip. Ivlis – who had begun to shut his eyes in pleasure – now flung them open as he realized this was progressing way too far. Kissing was one thing, but for Satanick to now begin his “handsy” play was much too indecent, and in the school, no less! Ivlis finally managed to push Satanick back, gathering the courage to do so as he pulled his lips away from Satanick’s mouth. Gasping in air, Ivlis huffed out, “S – Stop! We – We can’t! Not here.”

Satanick’s eyelids opened upon feeling Ivlis push away, only to chuckle in response to Ivlis’s clear humiliation. “Oh ~?” he teased in his song-songy tone. “And why not, Ivlis?” The man’s nimble fingers now began to travel up the torso of his beloved, noticing the way Ivlis shuddered and become weak in the knees at such a minor sensation. “Remember ~; we are a couple, right?”

That word. Yet again, Satanick was using that term to describe their relationship with each other. True as it may be, Ivlis did not appreciate it being the ultimate validation as to making out in the hallway!

“Satanick, we – we can’t – .” Ivlis was cut off once more as Satanick released his arm around Ivlis’s waist to now grab Ivlis’s chin within his palm, pulling his face back to him to begin kissing him passionately once more. Ivlis mumbled an incoherent protest that Satanick swallowed up, grinning as he pressed his body against Ivlis’s, practically pinning him in place. “Mmm!” Ivlis moaned out, his claws once more on Satanick’s jacket to dig into his shoulders, though Satanick did not seem to mind. The burning heat in the flame devil's chest had spread throughout his body into his legs, making them feel even weaker than they already were. The heat on his face did not help matters either, and he found himself feeling dizzied once more. Still, grumble as he might, Ivlis found himself not fully pushing Satanick away like he should be.

Once Satanick seemed to have his fill of kissing, he pulled back once more, this time leaving an imperceptible trail of saliva between them. He adored staring into the bright red face of Ivlis, whose pupils were dilated in those golden depths he called eyes. The devil offered a cheeky smile to Ivlis as he released his face to now reposition his forearm against the wall as he leaned forward to whisper into Ivlis’s pointed ear. He could practically feel the heat radiating off this fiery being, only increasing his libido. “Why don’t you meet me at my apartment again, Buri? We can continue the fun there, and you won’t have to worry about anyone seeing or hearing us. You can sing as loud as you like, my little songbird.”

Ivlis’s stunted breathing was only becoming shallower as Satanick said this. The apartment again….. No matter how much he tried to stop thinking about last night, there really was no way he was going to escape this, was he? Confronting it head on and accepting that this was now the norm would be most beneficial – at least, he hoped so. Still, to be so blunt to leave Ivlis in such a tizzy was something Satanick seemed to be reveling in. “I…. I…. “ The words weren’t coming out. They were stuck in his throat, and even with his claws gripping onto Satanick for some stability, Ivlis felt as if his legs were going to give way. He couldn’t even look this man in the face. Just what could he say; what could he do?

Was this what it felt like to be trapped?

A sudden swishing noise and blast of cold air to his right gave the demon a momentary reprieve as he tried to piece together what this somewhat welcome disturbance could be. Over Satanick’s forearm, the familiar sight of a black kendo sword was all Ivlis needed to see to know exactly who had put a stop to this foreplay. The recognition of such an item should have been a welcome one – and in many ways, it was – yet it also left Ivlis feeling horribly distraught. It was not that he had exactly wanted to continue such activities out in the open, but his flesh was crying for more as his mind was screaming for this first-hand embarrassment to cease.

“What are you doing to my brother?”

Ivlis did not have to see Igls’s face to know it was most likely shadowed in wary disgust at having seen Satanick literally feeling him up. The tone in her voice was all he needed to hear to cause his heart to drop into the pit of his stomach in a mixture of awkward humiliation and concern. Yes, Satanick had been getting a bit too risqué with him, but he did not necessarily want his sister angry at his boyfriend. That word that ranked their relationship rang once more in Ivlis’s muddled mind.

With a smile on his face, Satanick slid his arm off of the wall to face Igls, who stared up at him with narrowed, shut eyes. Her kendo sword traveled to follow Satanick’s movements, the tip hovering perfectly between the underside of his jaw and the top of his throat. “Hey, Igls!” he cheerfully greeted her. “Long time no see!”

Not one to easily be swayed by this demon’s “charm,” Igls’s expression remained steadfast as she kept her gaze locked on this perpetrator, casting quick, inspecting glances over Ivlis’s form. “You okay, Ivlis?” she asked, not even acknowledging Satanick’s formality.

“Of course he’s okay,” Satanick responded, a chipper smile still on his face. He looked over his right shoulder, not minding the stick literally millimeters from his face. “Right, Ivlis?” Those deep, dark depths of violet portrayed both a softness and a convincing aura to them. It was almost enough to make Ivlis shiver. It was not as if they had been doing anything illegal – well, it _was_ quite public – yet the way Satanick looked at him was as if he was trying to convince Ivlis that what had just occurred was surely fine. But… it was… wasn’t it?

“Ivlis?”

Igls’s voice once more broke Ivlis from his daydreaming as he blinked a few times to clear his once more foggy brain. He looked at Igls, whose gaze had not wavered off of her brother. He could tell through every fiber of her being that she was concerned for him. There was no reason she should be. Besides, he was old enough to take care of this. Older she might be, but Ivlis was just as old as his twin sister. Any boy could admit it was embarrassing for her to have to come to his “rescue” like this.

“I – I’m fine,” Ivlis stammered out. He cleared his throat, hoping to get rid of some of the cracks that were appearing. “There’s really… nothing to worry about, Igls. We were just….” Ivlis’s voice trailed off, leaving his cheeks turning pink once more. Just what was he supposed to say to his own sister – that he had been actively making out in broad daylight with his boyfriend? That might be perfectly acceptable with other couples who were a bit more “free-spirited,” but to say such a thing out loud was still a bit nerve-wracking to Ivlis. 

A few seconds of silence ticked by, interrupted only by the repeated grunts and thumps of the club that was still actively at work. Ever the one to read a room’s atmosphere, Igls slowly lowered her weapon, sheathing it back into its black holster on her left hip. She was dressed in her club gear, and Ivlis naturally felt bad at having called her away from her duties. Then again, he hadn’t exactly called for her. Igls always knew when something in the air felt awry. Plus, it probably didn’t help that Ivlis’s moans and groans were quite loud for such a usually quite space.

Igls pressed her lips together for a moment, and Ivlis could see she was struggling to come out with a response to what she had just witnessed. However, she must have thought better about it, as she soon returned to her normal stoicism. “Thank you for bringing me my shoes, Ivlis.”

The whole reason he was here to begin with mindlessly lie flopped towards his right. Ashamed at having not fully completed his mission, Ivlis went to move to retrieve the fallen boots. Satanick was much more agile even for his tall stature, bending down to scoop them up with ease. Holding them by the tall openings, Satanick gingerly offered them to Igls, a somewhat softer smile reaching his eyes to match the one on his lips. “Apologies, Igls,” Satanick began. “It was my fault that Buri-chan dropped them. I suppose we got a little carried away.” Even without a visible wink being given, Ivlis could still feel that familiar shiver course through his body upon Satanick’s reminder of what they had just been actively doing. Goosebumps rose across his arms as a warmth churned in his gut. The flame demon clenched his hands together to avoid wrapping his arms around himself to help settle the icy yet hot sensation that came and went.

With her expression remaining unchanged, Igls reached out, delicately yet firmly snatching her boots from Satanick’s right hand. She looked once more behind Satanick at Ivlis, once more silently questioning if he was truly okay. Ivlis swallowed back the small lump that had formed in his throat, unsure if it was from the humiliation of being caught in such an act or if he truly was okay with what Satanick had been doing.

The sliding of the door to the right had all three participants turning to stare as a fellow teammate of Igls’s asked if she was coming back to practice.

“Yes, I’m on my way,” Igls replied, the door remaining slightly ajar as the female walked away. Straightening her shoulders, Igls looked back and forth between Satanick and Ivlis. “Ivlis, please be careful going home tonight.” Her gaze was directed at Satanick as she said this, though she soon turned it towards her brother. “I’ll be home by dinner, okay?”

“Yeah.” The only syllable that Ivlis managed to say without too much effort. His golden eyes glanced downwards, not quite staring at the wall and flooring, but more so that he would not have to make further eye contact with anyone in this awkward situation. It was truly no one’s fault; it was just… bad timing, that’s all.

“Have a good practice, Igls,” Satanick called after her, turning to face her. He slipped his left hand into his front pocket as he waved her off with his right. The angel simply nodded at Satanick – a polite gesture that Ivlis knew was simply common courtesy. As she crossed the threshold of the door back into the gymnasium, she cast one last look at Ivlis. Even behind those closed eyelids, he could feel her stare once more repeating for him to remain safe.

That feeling soon began to dissipate once the door completely shut, leaving the two young men alone in the hallway once more.

Ivlis’s heart began to thump loudly against his ribcage among the silence as he tried to piece together his next plan of action. What was he supposed to do now? Should he follow Igls’s advice and get home safe? But exactly what time did she mean? If no specific time was designated, then that left him free to do whatever he wanted for the time being…. Should he take Satanick up on his offer to go to the apartment? He was honestly a bit petrified of what would occur there if he did, though the spreading warmth in his loins was telling him otherwise. He knew he could sometimes be a bundle of nerves, but this was becoming too much to deal with!

Just what was the right thing to do in this situation?! The demon tightly pressed his lips together, soon finding himself chewing on his bottom lip as he was lost in thought.

A hand being placed atop of his head had Ivlis jumping once more, his shoulder practically slamming into the wall. Satanick’s deep eyes were concentrated on him, though this time with more caution in lieu of lust. With a kind smile, Satanick now held out Ivlis’s schoolbag to him, straps draped over his long fingers. “You best be going home now, Buri-chan.” The young man then gave a soft pat to Ivlis’s head, ruffling his ahoge. “I’ll do my best to make sure I’m in class tomorrow so I won’t cause you to worry.”

Wait, what? Satanick wasn’t going to pursue things more…?

Befuddled with those words now hanging in the air, Satanick reached down to take Ivlis’s right hand in his. Ivlis did not react so negatively this time; if anything, his foggy mind was feeling quite warm to match the way his hand was feeling with Satanick’s on his. He wasn’t sure what to expect, but Satanick sliding his bag into his hand and turning on his heel was definitely not what he would have thought.

Ivlis did not quite know what to say to such an act. One minute Satanick was clearly insinuating that he wanted to pursue his intentions further than just a make out session, and now he was walking away as if nothing had happened. Numerous thoughts floated through the boy’s head, trying to deduce what just occurred. Was Satanick upset that they had been interrupted? Was he angry at Igls? Was he mad at him? Disappointed? Ivlis wasn’t sure. They might be boyfriends, but he still could not fathom what was going on in that devil’s head.

Ivlis opened his mouth as if to call after Satanick, but no sound came out. He slowly began to close his lips as he watched the back of Satanick’s black uniform start to grow smaller as he headed for the double doors at the hallway's end. The steady creaking of the door opening and closing with a firm _thunk_ was all Ivlis needed to realize that he was once more in the company of the muffled noises of the kendo club.

Looking down at his right fingers that now had the straps of his school bag stretched across them, he steadily raised his head back up to look at the exit that would lead him after Satanick. Shuffling his boots across the linoleum floor, Ivlis could not help but wonder if this is what it felt like to be intoxicated; a strange thought to be sure, but one that he felt was relevant. His mind was swimming in a sea of lost thoughts, his emotions were on a roller-coaster, and his body was simultaneously warm and cold all at once. Satanick was truly pervading his very being like a strong liquor.

Truly…. What in the world was going on with his body? What was going on with his mind? More importantly – what was his relationship becoming...?

A simple push on the large door handle helped bring cool evening air right into Ivlis’s face. The demon allowed the refreshing coolness to wash over him. It made it much more apparent that his cheeks were quite warm and probably still quite red; a walk home would hopefully remedy this. Once outside on the pristine cobblestone path that led back to the front of the building, one could hear the soft chirping of birds as they fluttered through the trees behind the school’s fence. The steady clicking of his boots on the pavement did not help drown out the blend of high-pitched and light tweets. It only reminded Ivlis of that one singular thought – of being trapped; trapped against that wall, sure, but....

_“Why don’t you meet me at my apartment again, Buri? We can continue the fun there, and you won’t have to worry about anyone seeing or hearing us. You can sing as loud as you like, my little songbird.”_

As the evening breeze blew his long ponytail behind him, that familiar warmth began to flood Ivlis’s chest and pelvis once more. Shaking his head at such absurd feelings spontaneously coming and going, Ivlis sped up his steps. He needed to get home; the sooner the better.

This songbird needed to fly somewhere – anywhere - that could be a safe haven to give him a quiet mind. 


	7. Familiarity

The flame demon’s evening passed by like any other. He arrived home to a cheerful Siralos who greeted him with the familiar platitudes. _How was your day? Did you eat your entire bento?_ – things of that nature. Of course, seeing his father happy filled Ivlis with his own sense of joy. It helped provide enough of a soothing balm to his scattered emotions. It was a familiar routine that might leave one feeling bored, but one that Ivlis welcomed at this moment.

“Come, Ivlis,” Siralos hummed. “Help me prepare dinner. We need plenty of vegetables for the beef stew tonight.”

A tiny smile on his face, Ivlis readily obeyed, washing up as he helped Siralos peel and chop the carrots and onions for the hearty meal. Even imagining the taste and smell of it before it had even begun, Ivlis could feel his mouth watering.

It really was in the mundane that he found true peace, wasn’t it?

Igls soon arrived not too long after. Despite being a tiny bit out of breath and flushed in the cheeks, not even a strand of her wavy blonde hair was out of place. She entered the kitchen quietly, her feet light on the floor. Turning his head to the right to face her, Ivlis’s eyes met her closed ones. Immediately, he could feel the questions and concerns radiating from her as she stared back at him. Ivlis shuddered a bit at this as he once more tried to quell the uncertainties that rushed through him in a cold wave. It was not that she was prying – he knew that – but her curiosity was so tangible, he feared Siralos would see.

Thankfully, Igls must have taken the hint that she had unintentionally made her brother uncomfortable. She turned her eyes to her father, smiling as she complimented the inviting warmth and smell in the room.

As father happily began chatting with daughter, Ivlis allowed himself to slowly exhale the breath he had been holding in. Shaking his head a bit, he kept his eyes down on finishing up the prep work; it would be best to concentrate lest he make any slips. Besides, there really was no need to dwell on this any further….

….

The rest of the evening passed by with nary a concern. As always, the beef stew was delicious, and Ivlis found himself smiling with each bite as Igls and him filled Papa in on their respective days. Of course, Ivlis left out the details of how he had left school, and he was grateful that Igls did not mention anything of the like. He did not doubt her that she would say anything about his “make out session” in front of her club, yet each time she mentioned details surrounding her kendo club, practice, or even the students in there, Ivlis could feel a small knot tightening in his stomach. He stifled it by piling more of the delicious food into his stomach, hoping this would drown it out.

Siralos also happily shared his day with his children, going on about the various odds and ends of what the children in the ballet group were currently practicing. Even though Igls and Ivlis had long since been too old for that activity, Siralos was still a very active member. Plus, his career as a “sun idol” seemed to involve a lot of activities that one could find in a ballet group such as learning balance and poise. Ivlis honestly did not know much about his father’s side hobbies or career, but he could appreciate that it seemed to afford him a lot more free time these days. Perhaps things were settling down. Either way, it did not matter to Ivlis; he was just happy that his father was.

The evening remained relatively peaceful, the family having cleaned up together after dinner was complete. The leftovers now packed into the fridge, they spent the next two hours watching television, conversing, or reading. The warm familiarity was enough to leave the nervous demon in a more relaxed state of mind than earlier. Sprawled out on the tan, cushioned sofa, Ivlis almost found himself drifting off to sleep as a random show droned on the large screen television. Just as the sun had set earlier, Ivlis found his heavy eyelids wanting to do the same.

A light tap on his head, Ivlis cracked open his eyes to see Siralos standing above him, a gentle smile on his face. With those piercing orange eyes of his, he stared down at his son, the tiny brown book he had been reading earlier still clutched in his right hand.

“You can’t go sleep yet, Ivlis. You have homework to finish, remember?”

That was right. Papa always was, after all. Nodding, Ivlis pushed himself up on the couch, letting out a light grunt as he did so. He shouldn’t have let himself get too comfortable to the point of almost dozing off. He blinked a few times to alert himself back into a more awake state before sliding his legs off the couch and standing. Even with Siralos being shorter than his children, Ivlis still found himself always looking up at him even when physically needing to look down. A light chuckle and smile greeted him in return, and Siralos placed his left hand on Ivlis’s shoulder.

“Be sure to take care of yourself, Ivlis. I don’t want you pushing yourself with school. You seem a bit befuddled lately, so you best take care.”

Of course Papa Siralos had noticed; why shouldn’t he have? Ivlis knew his behavior was like reading an open book at times, though he tried to hide it. Lowering his head a bit momentarily, Ivlis offered a soft smile to his father in return. “Don’t worry; I’m fine. I promise. I just haven’t been sleeping too well lately, that’s all. I’ll be sure to get better rest tonight.”

Siralos’s bright eyes almost seemed to bore into Ivlis’s, and in a way, Ivlis felt as if all his hidden emotions were being laid bare before his creator’s eyes. His gaze soon returned to his usual chipper one, offering a light squeeze to Ivlis’s shoulder before slipping it off. “Yes, I hope so too, Ivlis. You’re a good boy, you know.”

As Siralos shuffled his way over to Igls to remind her it was time to get ready for homework and bed, Ivlis could feel his heart flutter at those words. It always made him happy to hear when Siralos would complement him and support him in any way. This small reminder of him being “good” invigorated Ivlis as he exited the living room to head upstairs to his bedroom. He closed the door so as to not disturb Igls when she would inevitably make her way upstairs soon, too. A tiny smile on his face, Ivlis walked over to the far side of his room to his desk. Taking a seat, he opened his school bag, grabbing out the necessary books for tonight’s assignments.

….

A light tapping on his door pulled Ivlis from his work, and his eyes readjusted on the book before him. Raising his head up from its position in his palm, he looked above him at the clock on his wall. It was already 22:00 hours. He had not realized just how quickly time had passed. Everything had blended together once he concentrated on what he had to do. If anything, despite his sore eyes, he felt fairly productive. Glancing down once more at the textbook in front of him, Ivlis determined this was probably enough reading for tonight. Besides, he did somewhat promise Papa he’d try to get better rest. 

Deciding to end tonight’s study session, Ivlis called out, “Come in,” to his visitor. He heard the knob turn and the click of the door as it opened and shut behind her. He didn’t even need to turn around to know that his sister was the one coming to see him. Feeling her warm presence approaching him, Ivlis kept his eyes on the black text on the pure white pages. Unfocused eyes began to blend them together into a puddle, and he soon found himself shutting the book. As it thumped lightly, Igls now arrived at his right side. She turned to sit on the edge of his desk, and Ivlis slowly raised his gaze up to her. Still dressed in her uniform minus the jacket, Igls looked down at him with that same concerned expression she always made around him. Well, that expression seemed more frequent as of late.

Ivlis loved Igls – he did – but he could not help but feel a slight intimidation with her serious yet soft approach to him this evening. “Um, what’s up?” Ivlis asked, trying to keep composure despite a small pounding in his chest. He suspected what this might be about….

“Ivlis, I’m going to ask you something, and I need you to answer me with one hundred percent honesty. Okay?”

That was not exactly the way Ivlis had expected the conversation to start, yet he found himself a bit more on edge at such a statement. One hundred percent honesty, huh? Just even hearing that phrase had Ivlis feeling like his brain was a bit more active – as if it was trying to rewire itself to be completely truthful. He liked to think he was, and for his sister and family, he wanted to be.

So, why did he feel so apprehensive about this whole situation…?

Swallowing a tiny lump that had formed in his throat, Ivlis gave a small nod of confirmation for Igls to continue.

“Ivlis, Satanick isn’t… forcing you into doing things, is he?”

A small chill traveled through the back of Ivlis’s head and down his spine. He knew the reasoning behind why Igls had asked this – reminded once more of the incident near the gymnasium had his cheeks feeling a bit warm – yet it still disturbed him that his sister would ask such a thing. Biting the inside of his cheek, Ivlis tried to control the initial flinch he felt at such a forward question.

Just what could he say to this?

_“Aren’t we a couple?”_

_“It’s okay, Ivlis. It’s okay. It’s only going to hurt a little. But, soon, you won’t even feel that anymore.”_

_“Ivlis, I love you.”_

Satanick’s voice of that one evening echoed in his head, causing that same warmth he had felt then to once more flood his gut. Ivlis wanted to squirm and curl up into a ball at this wriggling warmth, but he dare not do such a thing in front of Igls. True that Igls hadn’t asked about that night, yet he could not help but be reminded of it with her phrasing. Yes, Satanick had somewhat… coaxed him into losing his virginity, but it wasn’t his fault.

_“I... I love you, too, Satanick.”_

No; Satanick had not done anything wrong. He, too, realized that he had wanted Satanick….

Shaking his head, Ivlis locked his golden eyes onto Igls’s closed eyelids. “No, Igls. Satanick isn’t forcing me into anything. I care about him, and we….” Ivlis found the words dying on his drying tongue as he tried to adamantly deny any accusations Igls was thinking about Satanick. To say any more would make Ivlis look like…. Well, he wasn’t quite sure, in all honesty. Nevertheless, he could not bring himself to say that Satanick had pursued things into dangerous territory, nor could he blurt out that he had wanted to have sex with Satanick.

Feeling slightly sickened, embarrassed, and that familiar warmth fluttering in his stomach, Ivlis could only keep his eyes locked onto Igls, as if hoping to convince her this was the truth. In retrospect, it was; this was the only truth Ivlis could offer the both of them at this moment. 

Finally nodding her head, Igls did not press him any further, though Ivlis could not be certain that she believed him. He realized that it wasn’t his job to do so even though he would have preferred to put her fears at ease – _both_ of their fears.

“Relationships are hard, Ivlis,” Igls finally spoke. “It takes a lot of love and care, patience and tenderness.” Leaning down a bit, Igls placed her right hand atop of Ivlis’s as it rested on his desk. A gentle squeeze of reassurance was given as she continued. “As long as you are happy and safe, then that is all that matters to me.” She offered Ivlis a small smile, and the flame demon could not help but return one to the glowing angel.

“Wait a minute,” Ivlis began. “I don’t recall you ever having dated anyone, Igls.” A slight teasing tone in his voice, Ivlis could not help but smile wider seeing Igls follow along with this.

“Well, none that you know about,” she commented. If her eyes were not perpetually closed, Ivlis could swear he almost saw her wink. His mouth opened a bit in mild surprise as he questioned if this was truly a joke or if Igls had secretly dated someone in the past. Before he could inquire further, Igls giggled softly, slipping her hand off of his as she stood up from her perch on his desk’s edge. A quick, somewhat sweet smile was the last thing Ivlis saw of his sister’s face before she walked past him back to his bedroom door. Turning in his chair, Ivlis watched her as she opened the door, ready to head back to her room.

“Goodnight, Ivlis. Sleep well. And… just remember – you’re not alone in any of this.” Her kind yet powerful words rang in Ivlis’s ears as she slipped out of his room, closing it behind herself with a clack, the last thing he saw of her being her wavy locks.

Sitting in the silence that followed, Ivlis could only hear the slight thumping of his heart and the movement of leaves scattering in the evening wind. Taking a deep breath in, Ivlis placed his right hand over his chest to calm himself down. He shook his head to clear his thoughts once more before placing his palms on his desk to push himself up and away. The ticking of the clock on the wall notified him that with each passing minute, he delayed sleep and his promise to Siralos that he would try to sleep better. Quickly changing into his pajamas, Ivlis turned off the light before slipping underneath his bed covers.

As his heavy eyelids gratefully shut, Ivlis could feel that once more familiar warmth in his gut. Placing his hand on his stomach, he rolled over towards his left to curl up. Whatever this sensation was, it was becoming another familiarity to him. His brain too tired to think any further, Ivlis pushed aside the concerns of what this was.

Tomorrow would be another day to consider it, he was sure.


End file.
